By Len Wilcox There’s a new research facility funded by California citrus growers to help combat huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. The facility, located in Riverside, California, is the result of a 3-year cooperative effort of the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) and California citrus growers. Using funds provided by members of California Citrus Mutual (CCM), …
Tools for Temporary Gene Expression in the HLB Battle
By Amit Levy and Choaa El-Mohtar When thinking about genetic engineering, the first thing that comes to mind is usually GMOs (genetically modified organisms) In a GMO, a plant genome is engineered to include additional genetic sequences, usually genes with some useful activity that give the plant an advantage. This method is called a stable method because genes will be …
Researchers Find How HLB Bypasses Citrus Immune System
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) claim they have made an important step in understanding the molecular mechanism of huanglongbing (HLB). They believe they have found the mechanism by which the disease evades detection and destruction by the natural immune system of citrus trees. HLB, or citrus greening disease, has devastated groves in Asia, South America and the …
HLB-Tolerant Interstocks
The use of highly HLB-tolerant genotypes as interstocks on a tree with a Swingle rootstock and a Valencia scion infected with HLB is offering hope for help against HLB, Jude Grosser reports. Grosser is a plant breeder with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. “Virtually every …
CRDF Focuses on HLB Research Communication
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) board of directors, which is focused on HLB, discussed ways to improve communications with growers and others during a meeting in Immokalee on Tuesday. The directors asked numerous growers attending the meeting at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center for their input regarding improved communication. One grower said he needs more detail …
Grower Discusses HLB Management Strategies
Jim Snively, vice president of grove operations at Southern Gardens Citrus, discusses his company’s management of HLB and the psyllids that spread it. He summarizes a presentation he made at the International Citrus Business Conference in March. “By reducing stress, the trees can deal with disease much better,” Snively says. “We’re doing this through continuous-type feeding or frequent feeding with …
Single Breakthrough Discovery for HLB in Florida Unlikely
A single breakthrough discovery for managing citrus greening in Florida in the future is unlikely, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee that wrote the report called for a systems approach to prioritize research on the disease and strategically distribute resources for research to effectively manage the disease, which is the most …
‘Flip’ Psyllid Control for Better HLB Management
Mike Irey of Southern Gardens Citrus explains why he thinks “flipping” the standard focus of psyllid control from young trees to mature trees can actually help young trees grow stronger in the face of HLB. Irey, director of research and business development, spoke at the recent International Citrus Business Conference in Daytona Beach. Irey explains that HLB is spread two …
Research Reveals a New Direction for Halting HLB
New clues to how the bacteria associated with citrus greening infects the only insect that carries it could lead to a way to block the microbes’ spread from tree to tree, according to a study in Infection and Immunity by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) scientists. Citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing (HLB), is a serious disease dramatically …
Nutrition and HLB
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor Kelly Morgan discusses the importance of nutrient leaf concentrations in HLB-infected citrus trees. “The leaf concentration (of nutrients) is reduced in all HLB trees,” he says. “We’ve known that for a long time, since HLB was found in Florida.” Morgan, who works at the Southwest Florida Research and Education …
Spoon-Feeding Nutrition and Protecting New Flush for HLB
Spoon-feeding nutrients through root systems and protecting new leaf flushes are among ways Jude Grosser believes growers can maintain tree health in the face of HLB. Grosser, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor, is best known as a citrus breeder. Grosser said he started working with nutrition because “like any grower, I don’t like to …
Georgia Citrus Association Taking Precautions Against HLB
Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease, was a hot topic at the recent Georgia Citrus Association Conference held in Tifton. As the Georgia citrus industry continues to grow, it is taking precautions to prevent the spread of HLB. Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association, said although HLB has not been detected yet in Georgia, the industry is preparing …
Hall of Famer Kahn: HLB Will Be Overcome
Sebring grower and grove manager Marvin Kahn, one of two inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame on March 9, says the industry will survive greening disease, or HLB. “I’m sure that we’ve got a real handicap now with this greening disease,” Kahn says. And no doubt we could have other diseases even following it. But with a real …
Browning to Take New Role in HLB Battle
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Chief Operations Officer Harold Browning will resign at the end of March to pursue HLB control strategies for Premier Citrus ApZ, a branch of Vero Beach-based Premier Citrus. At his new position, Browning says he will work “on further testing and commercialization of strategies to control HLB in the field.” Specifically, Browning will work with …
Nurseryman Discusses HLB, Grapefruit and Lemons
The impact of HLB on total citrus tree propagations, including the decline in grapefruit and growth in lemons, is addressed by nurseryman Nate Jameson. Jameson, owner of Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery, discusses some points he made at the annual Florida Citrus Show in January. “A few years ago we were propagating about 4.7 million trees a year,” Jameson says. “We’re …
California Researchers Work Toward Early HLB Detection
Although the Florida and California citrus industries may differ, they are both vulnerable to citrus greening disease. The brightest minds from both states are working to detect, manage and control this devastating disease. Most recently, University of California researchers have been working to find methods for early detection of huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease. AgNet West’s Taylor Hillman has …
HLB Conference to Be Held in California
The sixth International Research Conference on Huanglongbing (IRCHLB VI) will be held in California. The conference has been scheduled for March 12-16, 2019, at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside. This is the first time the conference will be held in California. Sponsored by the California Citrus Research Board (CRB) with the support of California’s citrus industry partners, the gathering …
HLB Management, PGRs and Fruit Drop
Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are chemicals that increase or decrease plant growth, flowering and/or fruit set. PGRs include some herbicides. This article summarizes research studies on how PGRs might aid in the management of HLB. Although several successful herbicide practices were developed by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
New Method for Early HLB Detection
By Len Wilcox Early detection of citrus trees infected with huanglongbing (HLB) has become the target of researchers around the world, and scientists from the University of California (UC) now believe they have the answer. Early detection is vital for identifying HLB-positive trees before physical symptoms of the disease appear and it spreads throughout a grove. SMELLING THE SICKNESS UC …
Grower Input on HLB Research Needs
Lee Jones, general manager of Gardinier Florida Citrus, was one of several growers offering suggestions for upcoming HLB research at a recent Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) Research Management Committee session. He summarizes some of the suggestions he and others offered. Jones notes that several suggestions were made regarding bactericides, which growers got access to in spring 2016. He …