Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 - (Page 9)

Bill Dawson, opposite, a professor of plant pathology and eminent scholar at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center at Lake Alfred, examines citrus seedlings to determine how they respond to the greening bacterium. Dawson, who is screening a wide range of citrus varieties and citrus relatives, has not found any citrus trees that are resistant to the bacterium, but some trees have less severe symptoms than others. “We are trying to learn why these trees are able to tolerate the bacterium with a limited amount of disease, with the hope that this information could be used to produce commercial varieties that tolerate the disease,” he said. “We also are screening proteins and peptides for their ability to prevent production of the disease by the bacterium or to prevent its transmission by the Asian citrus psyllid insect vector.” photo by tyler jones cover story Michaels Rogers, left, Tim Spann and Ron Brlansky examine citrus trees for symptoms of citrus greening and the presence of the Asian citrus psyllid that transmits the pathogen. uf/ifas file photo Citrus canker continues to be a serious disease for Florida’s $9.3 billion citrus industry, but citrus greening is now a more worrisome threat — and the top citrus research and extension education priority for UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. n the long term, the Florida citrus industry can live with and manage the canker problem, but citrus greening is a fatal disease that’s an even larger threat to the state’s signature crop, says Harold Browning, director of UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. “While our ongoing research and education programs to manage citrus canker are still very important, we are launching new and expanded efforts to control greening — thanks to support from the Florida citrus industry, the state legislature and federal sources.” Browning said the citrus greening problem is being attacked on several fronts: by improving earlydetection methods to identify the bacterial disease; developing best management practices for the disease; testing new pesticides and application strategies for existing pesticides; releasing natural predators and parasitoids to control the tiny Asian citrus psyllid insect that spreads the disease; developing transgenic citrus varieties that resist the pest and greening; and expanding UF extension education programs for producers and consumers. The disease slowly weakens and kills all types of citrus trees and, in some cases, causes fruit to become lopsided and taste bitter. Fruit does not develop the desired color, hence the greening name. Although greening poses no health threat to humans, there currently is no cure for the disease, Browning said. I IMPACT | Spring 2008 9

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 Contents A Big Boost for Biofuels Top Priority Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture Eliminating the Evil Weevil Invasive Pest Defeating Resistant Roaches Biodiesel Boon User-Friendly Updates for FAWN Flat-Out Great for the Grill! Laser Labeling Cashing in on Caviar Saving Water with Soil-Moisture Sensors Spotlight IFAS Development News

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

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