<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%">Fort Pierce, FL </span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">4.10.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>More than half of the work currently being done in the USDA’s extensive Fort Pierce lab is devoted to combating HLB, better known as citrus greening.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" data="http://www.wptv.com/video_player/swf/EndPlayVideoPlayer_v1_3_FP10_2.swf?v=012413_0" width="320" height="272"><param name="movie" value="http://www.wptv.com/video_player/swf/EndPlayVideoPlayer_v1_3_FP10_2.swf?v=012413_0" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allownetworking" value="all" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="flashvars" value="src=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia2.wptv.com%2Fvideo%2Fanvato%2F2013%2F04%2F09%2FCitrus_greening_47360.mp4&plugin_vast=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wptv.com%2Fvideo_player%2Fswf%2Fplugins%2FPluginEPAdIMA_v1_3_FP10_2.swf&vast_ads=true&vast_preRoll=http%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2FN6088%2Fpfadx%2Fssp.wptv%2Fnews%2Fdetail%3Bdcmt%3Dtext%2Fxml%3Bsz%3D1x1000%3Bpos%3Dnative%3Bloc%3D%25loc%25%3Btile%3D3%3Bfname%3Dcitrus-greening-research-reaches-grand-scale%3Bord%3D644710577093064800%3Frand%3D%25rand%25&vast_postRoll=http%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2FN6088%2Fpfadx%2Fssp.wptv%2Fnews%2Fdetail%3Bdcmt%3Dtext%2Fxml%3Bsz%3D3x1000%3Bpos%3Dnative%3Bloc%3D%25loc%25%3Btile%3D3%3Bfname%3Dcitrus-greening-research-reaches-grand-scale%3Bord%3D644710577093064800%3Frand%3D%25rand%25&vast_overlay=http%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2FN6088%2Fpfadx%2Fssp.wptv%2Fnews%2Fdetail%3Bdcmt%3Dtext%2Fxml%3Bsz%3D320x40%3Bpos%3Dnative%3Bloc%3D%25loc%25%3Btile%3D3%3Bfname%3Dcitrus-greening-research-reaches-grand-scale%3Bord%3D644710577093064800%3Frand%3D%25rand%25&plugin_omniture=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wptv.com%2Fvideo_player%2Fswf%2Fplugins%2FPluginEndPlayOmniture_v1_3_FP10_2.swf&omniture_vidSegment=M&omniture_vidContent=video&omniture_debugTracking=false&omniture_account=ewstvwptv&omniture_visitorNamespace=ewstv&omniture_trackingServer=ewstv.112.2o7.net&omniture_trackingServerSecure=ewstv.102.122.2o7.net&omniture_vidID=0&omniture_id=video_player1&omniture_vidCategory=news&omniture_vidPubDate=2013_04_09&omniture_vidTitle=Citrus%20greening&plugin_cc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wptv.com%2Fvideo_player%2Fswf%2Fplugins%2FPluginEPCaption_v1_3_FP10_2.swf&cc_dfxp=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia2.wptv.com%2Fvideo%2Fanvato%2F2013%2F04%2F09%2Fcaptions%2FCitrus_greening_473600000.dfxp&epD=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.wcpo.com%2F&showMenu=true&shareUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wptv.com%2Fdpp%2Fnews%2Fcitrus-greening-research-reaches-grand-scale%23ixzz2Q33JJGc2&shareTitle=Citrus%20greening%2C%20Huanglangbing%3A%20Dozens%20of%20scientists%20working%20on%20the%20bacterial%20disease&poster=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia2.wptv.com%2F%2Fphoto%2F2013%2F04%2F09%2FCitrus_greening_473600000_20130409183434_640_480.JPG&embed=true&toggleVideoCode=3&emailAction=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wptv.com%2Femailaction&vW=320&vH=240&cntrlH=32" /></object><p>"It is the problem that nobody wanted and we have it," explained Mark Hilf, a research plant pathologist.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Hilf is among dozens of scientists working on the bacterial disease, according to WPTV.com.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Florida Department of Agriculture says Florida accounts for more than 63 percent of the total U.S. citrus production. There is a total direct and indirect economic impact of more than $8.9 billion. It is impossible to predict the future effects of the widespread disease.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Hilf explained, "On an individual tree there really is no cure, and even if you were able to treat a tree to get rid of the bacterium, there is also the problem of re-infection by the insects."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">In one greenhouse, scientists rear the "psyllid," the tiny insect that spreads the disease. One group of scientists is looking for ways to block the insects from feeding using tiny, artificial diet chambers.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"We are able to add things to these diets, to find molecules that will block different biological activity of these insects," said Bob Shatters, a research molecular biologist.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Shatters says the team has discovered breakthrough information that may also help with other diseases.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"If they can't get to the vascular tissue of the plant, they can't pick it up or deliver the bacteria," he said.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Other groups of scientists are working to build more tolerant plants that produce high-quality fruits.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Horticulturist Ed Stover says there is some promise in finding things that can grow in the presence of the disease.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"Trying to develop new citrus varieties that incorporate tolerance or resistance to huanglong bing," Stover said.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Others are finding treatments for trees that are already infected. The genome of the citrus greening disease has been mapped.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"In our work, we have to balance our enthusiasm for what appears promising, and conservatism in terms of our level of certainty that things will have value," explained Stover.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Yongping Duan, a research plant pathologist, says they have had success under temperature-controlled environments using small, portable greenhouses around trees.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"The heat treatment actually help the plant recover," he said.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The problem, however, is in applying the science to a grand scale. The treatments must be made possible for application on up to 532,000 acres of commercial citrus. They must also be affordable for working farmers.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"In essence if there ever was a monster in terms of a plant disease, this one is it," Hilf said.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/citrus-greening-research-reaches-grand-scale#ixzz2Q33JJGc2" target="_new">Citrus Greening Update </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
