Citrus greening disease

Citrus greening disease
Citrus greening disease on mandarin oranges
Common namesHLB, citrus vein phloem degeneration (CVPD), citrus greening disease, yellow shoot disease, yellow dragon disease, leaf mottle yellows in the Philippines, citrus dieback in India
Causal agentsLiberibacter spp. (L. asiaticus, L. africanus, L. americanus)[1]
Hostscitrus trees
VectorsDiaphorina citri, Trioza erytreae
EPPO Code1LIBEG
DistributionAsia, Africa, United States
Orange juice prices 1973 - 2022
Citrus greening was first found in 2005 in the US and has cut the Orange tree production in half[2][3]

Citrus greening disease or yellow dragon disease[4] (calque of Chinese: 黃龍病; pinyin: huánglóngbìng abbr. HLB)[5] is a disease of citrus caused by a vector-transmitted pathogen. The causative agents are motile bacteria, Liberibacter spp. The disease is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, and the African citrus psyllid, Trioza erytreae, also known as the two-spotted citrus psyllid. It has no known cure.[6] It has also been shown to be graft-transmissible.[7]

Three different types of HLB are currently known: the heat-tolerant Asian form, and the heat-sensitive African and American forms. The disease was first described in 1929 and first reported in South China[1] in 1943. The African variation was first reported in 1947 in South Africa, where it is still widespread. Eventually, it affected the United States, reaching Florida in 2005. Within three years, it had spread to the majority of citrus farms. The rapid increase in this disease has threatened the citrus industry not only in Florida, but the entire US. As of 2009, 33 countries have reported HLB infection in their citrus crop.[8]

  1. ^ a b Bové JM (March 2006). "Huanglongbing: a destructive, newly-emerging, century-old disease of citrus". Journal of Plant Pathology. 88 (1): 7–37. JSTOR 41998278.
  2. ^ Singerman A, Useche P. "FE983/FE983: Impact of Citrus Greening on Citrus Operations in Florida". Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). University of Florida.
  3. ^ Nosowitz D (14 February 2021). "Researchers Find Possible Answer to Citrus Greening". Modern Farmer.
  4. ^ "Citrus greening". Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. U.S. Department of Agricultur. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  5. ^ "The Disease: Huanglongbing (HLB)". Citrus Research Board. 2011. Archived from the original on 17 January 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  6. ^ Killiny N, Nehela Y, George J, Rashidi M, Stelinski LL, Lapointe SL (July 2021). "Phytoene desaturase-silenced citrus as a trap crop with multiple cues to attract Diaphorina citri, the vector of Huanglongbing". Plant Science. 308: 110930. Bibcode:2021PlnSc.30810930K. doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2021.110930. PMID 34034878. S2CID 235203508.
  7. ^ Lin KH (1956). "Observation on yellow shoot on citrus. Etiological studies of yellow shoot on Citrus". Acta Phytopathological Sinica. 2: 1–42.
  8. ^ Voosen P (13 September 2014). "Can Genetic Engineering Save the Florida Orange?". National Geographic. Archived from the original on September 15, 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2017.