Ching-Hong Yang, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) biological sciences professor, was recently awarded a $1.5 million federal grant to support research on a compound that suppresses HLB disease. His project is titled Bringing RejuAgro to Market: Development of a Groundbreaking Trunk Injection Biopesticide for Huanglongbing (HLB). The grant is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA).
Yang’s RejuAgro A compound has shown significant results in combatting HLB disease.
The researcher previously received $2.4 million from USDA NIFA for developing organic strategies to manage apple fire blight and HLB in citrus. Of that funding, $1.4 million was to help Yang further study the compound’s efficacy in lessening the severity of HLB and increasing orange crop yields. He is working with collaborators at the University of Florida on that effort. Research from that grant found that RejuAgro A, made by the innocuous bacterium Pseudomonas soli T307 strain, offers an environmentally friendly approach to combating microbial infections.
“This funding from NIFA represents a critical step forward in translating our laboratory discoveries into real-world agricultural solutions,” said Yang. “With this support, we can accelerate the development and commercialization of RejuAgro A — a sustainable, natural compound that has the potential to protect citrus crops globally from the devastating effects of huanglongbing. Our ultimate goal is to provide growers with an effective, affordable tool that supports both plant health and long-term agricultural resilience.”
Researchers will conduct large-scale field trials to evaluate RejuAgro A’s effectiveness in reducing bacterial load in infected trees, improving fruit yield and maintaining tree health.
To commercialize RejuAgro A, Yang launched a startup company called T3 Bioscience with partner Daniel Burgin in 2018. T3 Bioscience holds the patent for the compound jointly with the UWM Research Foundation. Learn more about T3 Bioscience here.
Source: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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