Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists led by Kranthi Mandadi are seeking novel solutions to huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease.
Mandadi is a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and a researcher at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco. In the past few years, he and his collaborators have found new potential treatments for HLB.
FASTER TREATMENT TESTING
The bacterium causing HLB is fastidious, meaning it couldn’t grow outside its native environment, including as lab cultures — until 2020. That year, Mandadi and his AgriLife Research team developed an alternative approach to liquid cultures called the ‘hairy root’ system.
The system works by growing roots from infected citrus leaves or branches, allowing scientists to create a natural growth environment for the bacterium to thrive in the hairy roots. The bacterium can then be used to screen numerous types of treatments at a speed that was previously not possible.
“We were suddenly able to test potential treatments at a much faster rate, between four to six times as fast, and on a larger scale,” Mandadi said.
One of the most encouraging findings from this research has been the identification of natural compounds that could directly counteract the HLB pathogen.
THE PROMISE OF PEPTIDES
Using hairy root technology, Mandadi’s team identified a few natural defensin peptides present in spinach that seem to be effective at killing the HLB bacterium. The team then collaborated with University of Florida scientists who developed a citrus RNA viral vector capable of delivering the peptide directly to the infected trees’ vascular system to test the spinach peptides in infected Florida groves. Early results have shown promise at increasing the yield of infected trees by 30% to 50%.
An important step before the spinach peptides can be available to citrus growers is to get approval from federal regulators. Southern Gardens Citrus and Silvec Biologics have been working with Mandadi’s team toward obtaining the regulatory approvals. Earlier this year, Silvec Biologics submitted the peptides for regulatory approval with the Environmental Protection Agency and is making headway.
“The progress Mandadi and collaborators have made makes me hopeful for the future of our citrus industry,” said Texas Citrus Mutual President Dale Murden. “We will have new, sustainable treatments that could keep citrus trees productive under disease pressure.”
Mandadi is hopeful as well. “I think the future of citrus is looking brighter,” he said. “We’re closer than ever to offering our spinach defensin peptides to producers in their ongoing fight against this devastating disease.”
Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Research
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