detection

AI Model Shows Promise for Early HLB Detection

Daniel CooperHLB Management, International, Research

An artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by researchers in China has shown promise for detecting HLB in leaves before visible symptoms appear. The technology could eventually give citrus growers another tool for earlier disease detection and more targeted grove monitoring. The study combined three types of information: standard color photographs, hyperspectral imaging and measurements of leaf chlorophyll content. The researchers …

bacterium

Root Bacterium Shows Potential for Fighting HLB

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

Researchers have identified a naturally occurring citrus root bacterium that produces a compound capable of suppressing the bacterium associated with huanglongbing (HLB) disease. This offers a potential new avenue for disease management. A research study examined whether bacteria living naturally on and within citrus plants could help fight Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the bacterium associated with HLB. Using an automated …

challenges

HLB Tops List of Challenges Reshaping Juice Industry

Daniel CooperOrange Juice, Processing

Huanglongbing (HLB), shifting consumer preferences and rising production costs are reshaping the citrus juice industry. These challenges are making fruit quality and efficient use of available crops increasingly important, a new research review reports. The researchers identify HLB as a major challenge for juice production. The disease reduces tree health, increases fruit drop and lowers yields. It can also change …

Controlled-Release Fertilizers

Controlled-Release Fertilizers Show Mixed Results for HLB

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Nutrition, Research

Controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) may help improve leaf nutrition in citrus trees affected by huanglongbing (HLB), but choosing the right fertilizer program is critical to maintaining yields, according to new research. A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study compared two CRF programs with a conventional fertilizer program in mature Valencia sweet orange trees growing in Florida’s sandy …

study

Study Explores Two-Pronged HLB Approach

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

A new study suggests that tackling both the bacterium responsible for huanglongbing (HLB) and the tree’s own response to infection may offer a better path for managing the disease. A report on the research — “Combating citrus greening disease by simultaneously targeting the pathogen and callose-mediated phloem occlusion” — examines how the disease disrupts the movement of sugars through citrus …

high school

High School Researcher Launches HLB Product

Daniel CooperHLB Management

In 2025, high school student Tanishka Aglave regaled the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) annual meeting with a discussion of her prize-winning investigation into a natural alternative treatment for HLB. Instead of using the standard HLB treatment oxytetracycline (OTC) as a trunk injection, she injected HLB-infected trees with an extract from the Indian curry leaf plant. She reported that …

expansion

HLB Quarantine Expansion in California

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, HLB Management, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced Oct. 1 that it was expanding the citrus greening (also known as huanglongbing or HLB) quarantined area in California. APHIS is adding 155 square miles to the quarantined Murrieta area of Riverside and San Diego counties. This expansion impacts 125.6 acres of commercial citrus. The agency expanded …

HLB-affected

Biostimulants Benefit HLB-Affected Citrus

Daniel CooperBiostimulants, Tip of the Week

By Noor Ul Basar, Muhammad Adnan Shahid, Duplicate Sambani and Davie M. Kadyampakeni Huanglongbing (HLB) remains the greatest challenge facing citrus production in Florida. While there is currently no cure for HLB, effective management of affected trees remains a primary focus for Florida citrus growers. Efficient nutrient management is an important strategy for maintaining the health and productivity of HLB-affected …

trunk injection

HLB Research Looks to Automate Trunk Injection

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Technology

As oxytetracycline (OTC) trunk injection becomes an important tool for managing HLB, researchers are looking for ways to make the labor-intensive treatment faster, more efficient and less expensive. Part of a research paper published in Tropical Plant Pathology discusses an automated trunk-injection system being developed for HLB-affected citrus. The authors of the paper, titled “Integrated pest management strategies to address …

impact

HLB Quarantine Expansions Impact California Citrus

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, HLB Management, Regulation

Effective immediately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced it was expanding the HLB quarantined area in California. The action was made on Sept. 1 in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). APHIS is adding 1 square mile to the Santa Paula quarantined area in Ventura County, which impacts 151.7 …

resistant trees

Considerations When HLB-Resistant Trees Arrive

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

The development of citrus varieties that can resist HLB could eventually change how growers manage the disease. However, a recent study suggests the transition may not be as simple as planting resistant trees and stopping control of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) that spreads HLB. A paper about the research, published in the April 2026 issue of Agricultural Systems, examines …

Imperial County

HLB Confirmed in Imperial County for First Time

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Diseases, Regulation

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials have confirmed the detection of HLB in one tree in a residential property in the city of Calexico, Imperial County, California. This is the first HLB detection in a tree in Imperial County. In November 2025, an Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) was confirmed positive in Imperial …

PDIs

PDIs Promising for Sustainable HLB Management

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

A recent University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) article addressed the use of plant defense inducers (PDIs) as sustainable alternatives to oxytetracycline (OTC) injection for HLB management. Researchers Lauren Fessler Mathews, Ana Redondo and Ozgur Batuman at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) authored the article. Slightly edited excerpts of the article follow: PDIs …

USDA

USDA Report Highlights HLB Efforts

Daniel CooperHLB Management, USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) highlighted huanglongbing (HLB) disease in the citrus section of its recent Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) 2025 Annual Report. It recognized HLB as the most serious disease of citrus, currently impacting Florida and Texas and threatening citrus in Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. The report …

HLB-affected

Canopy Management Critical for HLB-Affected Citrus

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Production, Tip of the Week

By Tripti Vashisth, Meryam Manzoor and Johann Hiller Fruit quality and yield remain major concerns for sweet orange growers in the HLB era. Both are closely linked to the tree’s ability to support developing fruit throughout the season. Leaves are the primary source of carbohydrates needed for fruit growth, retention and juice development. Canopy density and leaf area directly influence …

mandarin hybrids

HLB-Tolerant Mandarin Hybrids Show Promise

Daniel CooperMandarins, Research, Varieties

As citrus growers continue searching for varieties that can perform under huanglongbing (HLB) pressure, researchers are looking beyond tree survival. Fruit quality, flavor and consumer acceptance are becoming increasingly important parts of the equation. A new study evaluated several HLB-tolerant mandarin hybrids and identified selections that combine disease tolerance with traits that could make them attractive for fresh-market production. An …

Georgia

Pathologist Provides Update on HLB Spread in Georgia

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, Georgia

Citrus greening disease continues to loom over the cold-hardy citrus region. While the industry expands in South Georgia and North Florida, the threat of the disease (also known as huanglongbing, or HLB) remains a focal point of citrus meetings, including on July 28 at the Southeast Georgia Citrus Update in Lyons. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and …

HLB

Research Shows How HLB Progresses Through Trees

Daniel CooperResearch

Recent research provides one of the clearest pictures to date of how huanglongbing (HLB) disease develops over time and affects different parts of a tree. An article about the research — “Microscopic Atlas of Citrus Huanglongbing Unravels Its Sequential Disease Development Mechanism” — was published in the journal Phytopathology. The authors are researchers Diann Achor, Camila Ribeiro, Jinyun Li and …

citrus species

Citrus Species Show Different Responses to HLB

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

Researchers are studying why some citrus species appear to handle huanglongbing (HLB) better than others. Understanding these differences could help breeders develop more resilient citrus varieties and rootstocks for future production. A new study compared nine citrus species infected with HLB and identified differences in how the plants respond to the disease, including changes in nutrient levels, stress responses and …

new research

New Research Tool Could Speed Search for HLB Treatments

Daniel CooperBrazil, HLB Management, Research

A new research platform may help scientists identify potential treatments for citrus greening disease faster, potentially speeding up the search for solutions. Citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing (HLB), is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). The disease disrupts the tree’s ability to transport nutrients, leading to symptoms such as blotchy leaves, small and misshapen fruit, poor juice …