Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Government has partnered with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and Hort Innovation to prepare the citrus industry against huanglongbing (HLB). Although widespread in Asia and found in North and South America, HLB is not known to be present in Australia. The psyllid that spreads HLB is also absent from Australia.
A collaborative research project, begun in 2022, is titled “Preparedness and management of huanglongbing (citrus greening disease) to safeguard the future of citrus industry in Australia, China and Indonesia.” The project aims to leverage global knowledge and investigate effective and efficient options to manage HLB to increase the capacity of smallholder citrus growers in Indonesia and China. Another goal of the project is to enhance the preparedness of the Australian citrus industry for future incursions of the disease.
HLB is recognized as a National Priority Plant Pest by the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. It poses a critical biosecurity threat to the Australian citrus industry.
Two Indonesian institutions, Univeristas Gadjah Mada and Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, are the main collaborators on the project. The Citrus Research Institute of China is also an international collaborator.
The project has made significant progress, including importing Australian and U.S. rootstocks for trialing their resistance to HLB in Indonesia, where the disease is present.
Several doctoral projects focused on HLB have been completed by Indonesian students, contributing to the global fight against HLB and the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). New traps and lures have been tested, which could enhance ACP surveillance efforts and help protect Australia from the potential threat of HLB.
This project is funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, with co-investment from NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Hort Innovation (Citrus R&D Fund).
Learn more about the project here.
Source: NSW Government
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