Texas A&M researcher Kranthi Mandadi has received the 2024 American Phytopathological Society (APS) Syngenta Award given to select scientists working in areas of crop protection and plant pathology. Mandadi is an associate professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco. He was selected for the award primarily for his breakthrough research on fastidious, …
CRDF Focused on the Search for HLB Resistance
According to Rick Dantzler, Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) chief operating officer, the past seven days have been busy for CRDF’s committees. First, the Plant Improvement Committee, chaired by grower Joby Sherrod, reviewed several projects and ideas seeking HLB resistance in detail. A three-year plan for the plant improvement programs for University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
‘Crucial Step’ Taken in HLB Bacterium Cultivation
Huanglongbing (HLB) is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which has been challenging to culture outside its host because of its intracellular nature and genome reduction. Due to these challenges, in-depth research on effective cultivation methods for CLas is essential to develop better control strategies. Such in-depth research was conducted by a team from the U.S. Department of …
Phytophthora Increasing; HLB Complicates Control
Phytophthora incidences are increasing in Florida citrus groves, plant pathologist Ozgur Batuman reported during a May 21 presentation. Phytophthora diseases include foot rot of trunk and limbs, root rot and brown rot. Batuman, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor, said these diseases led to yield reductions of 3% to 6% per year even prior …
HLB Control in Brazil and Florida Compared
A recent issue of the Annual Review of Phytopathology contains the article, “Management of huanglongbing of citrus: Lessons from São Paulo and Florida.” It discusses the lessons in HLB management, comparing what was done in orchards in Brazil’s state of São Paulo and in Florida. It also highlights the measures that worked and failed from the perspective of controlling the …
Integrating Antibiotics Into a Broader Management Plan for HLB
By Lukasz Stelinski, Eric Roldan and Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski Use of antibiotics in fruit production is not a new idea, but it has only recently been applied on a larger scale in Florida citrus. The initial labels for huanglongbing (HLB) treatment with antibiotics in Florida citrus were approved in March 2016 in response to significant economic losses caused by HLB. Antibiotics …
Sting Nematodes in the HLB Era
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center hosted an OJ Break seminar in mid-May. Topics included management of nematodes, results of trunk-injection therapies and the use of cover crops in citrus. Larry Duncan, a UF/IFAS professor of nematology, presented research findings on the impact of sting nematodes in citrus. He provided …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Georgia Citrus Association Annual Meeting Focused on HLB and More
By Peter Chaires The Georgia Citrus Association held its seventh annual meeting on Feb. 27 at the University of Georgia (UGA) campus in Tifton. As usual, the event was well organized and well attended. The agenda included topics such as: It was a value-packed day. HLB RECOMMENDATIONS Roger Smith of TreeSource Citrus Nursery in Woodlake, California, traveled quite a distance …
Kaolin and Climate Impacts on HLB Addressed
The impacts of kaolin and climate on HLB in Brazil were among topics addressed by researchers from Brazil’s Fundecitrus during the recent International Research Conference on HLB in Riverside, California. HLB is also known as citrus greening. Researcher Marcelo Miranda discussed results of a study on the use of processed kaolin in low doses to reduce the HLB-spreading psyllid population …
Rigorous HLB Control Works at Brazilian Farm
Fabrício Eustáquio Lanza, research coordinator at Brazil’s Cambuhy Agricola, recently told how his company has kept HLB at low and economically acceptable incidence levels. His presentation at the recent International Research Conference on HLB was based on a report he co-authored with Alexandre Tachibana, Ivan Brandimarte, Antonio Juliano Ayres and Renato Beozzo Bassanezi. The report follows: MANAGEMENT MEASURES Huanglongbing (HLB), …
BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS IN A UNIQUE PRODUCT FOR HLB MANAGEMENT
BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS IN A UNIQUE PRODUCT FOR HLB MANAGEMENT A groundbreaking study recently conducted by renowned Brazilian agro-science has resulted in a formula for the effective management of citrus greening, a disease that has severely affected citriculture in Brazil and worldwide for a long time. It was in the laboratories of the Citrus Center of the Agronomic Institute of …
University of Georgia Lab Offers HLB Testing
The University of Georgia’s (UGA) Plant Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (MDL) on the Tifton campus is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified lab performing huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) testing. It offers the advanced test to commercial growers, homeowners, nurseries, Extension and research personnel and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The molecular test per sample costs $80. Candidatus Liberibacter species associated with HLB …
HLB Quarantine Areas Expanded in California
Federal and state agriculture officials have expanded the areas quarantined for huanglongbing (HLB; also known as citrus greening) in California. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). APHIS is adding portions of Los Angeles, San Diego and Ventura counties …
Growers Must Settle for HLB-Tolerant Trees While Waiting for Resistance
The dream of citrus varieties being totally resistant to huanglongbing (HLB) disease (citrus greening) is still a distant reality for Florida growers. For now, they must depend on tolerant varieties to lessen the disease’s impact, which is widespread throughout most of the state. Michael Rogers, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center …
HLB Could End Georgia’s Citrus Industry
One California citrus leader believes Georgia should respond more aggressively to huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) for the sake of the industry’s future in the state. Roger Smith, fourth-generation citrus producer and executive of AC Foods, spoke during the recent Georgia Citrus Association meeting in Tifton. He discussed the disease that devastated citrus production in Florida and could …
Discovery Speeds Push for HLB-Tolerant Citrus
It’s one thing for a hybrid citrus tree to tolerate HLB, but quite another thing for it to produce orange-like fruit that makes delicious orange juice (OJ). That holy grail of traits could be nearer, thanks to a team of U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientists. …
HLB Management Different for North Florida Citrus
Living with huanglongbing (HLB) disease (citrus greening) is a much different process for citrus growers than protecting their crop from it. Growers in the cold-hardy citrus region are currently trying to keep the devastating disease out of their area. Industry experts like Michael Rogers, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center director, are …
Irrigation During the Dry Season to Increase Yield of HLB Trees
By Tripti Vashisth and Mary Sutton Prolonged water deficits can negatively impact flowering, fruit growth, crop load and fruit quality. Unfortunately, HLB-affected trees are more susceptible to water deficits than healthy trees due to extensive root loss. Observing HLB-affected trees throughout the dry season showed that severely symptomatic trees consistently had lower leaf water potential than mildly symptomatic trees. This …
CRISPR Is Bringing Citrus Closer to HLB Resistance
You’ve probably heard the term CRISPR in recent years. It is a relatively new breakthrough in science that has applications in human health and even in the fight against HLB. Nian Wang, a professor of microbiology and cell science with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), has been on the forefront of CRISPR research. Here …
PGRs for HLB-Affected Trees: An Update
Using the plant growth regulators (PGRs) cytokinin in spring, gibberellic acid (GA) in summer and 2,4-D in late fall can be helpful for HLB-affected trees, horticulturist Tripti Vashisth reported. Her PGR update came during a Feb. 21 OJ Break. Multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt hosted the event at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus …