Destructive citrus greening disease affecting Florida
Mar 23, 2010 - 4:00:00 AM
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The most powerful long-term management tool likely will be the cultivation of citrus trees resistant to the bacteria that cause citrus greening and to the Asian citrus psyllid, the committee said. Genetic engineering holds the greatest hope for generating trees with these traits. If bacteria-infected trees can be found and removed sooner than through visual detection, the number of infected Asian citrus psyllids and spread of the disease should drop significantly. The committee recommended research to identify indicators that could more efficiently detect infected citrus trees, especially those that may not show symptoms. Orchard test plots consisting of infected trees that show no symptoms, as well as ones with symptoms, also should be established to evaluate new scouting and therapeutic methods.
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By National Academy of Sciences,
[RxPG] WASHINGTON -- Urgency, cooperation, and persistent management are needed among producers, processors, government officials, and scientists while solutions are developed and implemented to combat the citrus greening disease threatening Florida citrus production, says a new report from the National Research Council. Requested by the Florida Department of Citrus, the report lays out a strategic plan to control citrus greening and develop a comprehensive solution to diseases that damage citrus crops.
First detected in Florida in 2005, citrus greening is a deadly bacterial disease that affects all citrus varieties and is spread by an insect, the Asian citrus psyllid. Trees infected with the disease have yellow shoots; blotchy leaf color; reduced amount of fruit; and fruits that are abnormally small, lopsided, or off in flavor. After infection, the first symptoms may appear in six to 18 months, with relatively fast progression of the disease throughout an orchard. As the severity of the disease increases, citrus yield drops and could make the orchard's production uneconomical in seven to 10 years after planting. The committee that wrote the report found that citrus greening and measures taken to control it reduced Florida orange juice production by several percent by 2008, and losses will likely increase.
Although there is no cure, three-pronged programs have demonstrated some effectiveness in areas not yet severely affected by the disease, but the number of infected citrus trees in Florida continues to rise. The programs rely on production of mandated propagation material in insect-proof facilities, reduction of the Asian citrus psyllid populations, and visual identification and prompt removal of infected trees. To be effective, this program must be continued vigorously, even if the number of infected trees increases in the first years of the program. However, if the disease advances rapidly and more than a few percent of the trees in a grove must be removed every year, production will not be sustainable in today's citrus industry, the committee concluded.
The most powerful long-term management tool likely will be the cultivation of citrus trees resistant to the bacteria that cause citrus greening and to the Asian citrus psyllid, the committee said. Genetic engineering holds the greatest hope for generating trees with these traits. If bacteria-infected trees can be found and removed sooner than through visual detection, the number of infected Asian citrus psyllids and spread of the disease should drop significantly. The committee recommended research to identify indicators that could more efficiently detect infected citrus trees, especially those that may not show symptoms. Orchard test plots consisting of infected trees that show no symptoms, as well as ones with symptoms, also should be established to evaluate new scouting and therapeutic methods.
Until these approaches can be implemented, the report lays out other high-priority actions that could sustain citrus production, including:
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