Associated Press

The Asian citrus psyllid is seen in this University of Florida photo provided by the University of California, Davis.
Psyllids feed on the liquid inside citrus leaves and are the only transmitter of a deadly disease officially known by
its Chinese name huanglongbing, or "yellow dragon disease" for its visual effect on leaves. In the U.S. growers
call it "citrus greening" because fruit fails to ripen.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/jan/29/biopesticide-fight-citrus-greening-be-available-la/

Biopesticide to fight citrus greening to be available later this year

Paul Ivice Correspondent
Originally published 06:33 p.m., January 29, 2009

FORT PIERCE — A University of Florida Research Associate said the first biopesticide effective against the tiny insect that spreads a bacteria that eventually kills citrus trees should be available to growers later this year.

Methods being developed to attack the insect, which experts believe came from Asia and first appeared in Florida in 1998 in Delray Beach, were presented Thursday at the conclusion of the two-day Indian River Citrus Seminar, held for the first time at the Havert L. Fenn Center. About 320 growers from across Florida, as well as a few Central and South American countries, were among the 500-plus people who attended.

The tree disease is huanglongbing, yellow dragon disease in Chinese but known in the United States as greening. Once slow-developing symptoms become apparent is a citrus tree, it must be destroyed.

The culprit is the Asian citrus psyllid, which infects the tree as it feeds, similar to a mosquito. With no treatment for greening yet available, the emphasis is on controlling the psyllids that spread the disease.

The threat to citrus crops from greening “is at least equal to canker,” said Ed Jarvis, who supervises about one-fifth of Premier Citrus’s 30,000 acres of groves in the Treasure Coast and Central Florida. “Canker is more of a threat to fresh fruit than juice fruit,” he said.

“Greening is just starting to scratch the surface on the acres I manage,” Jarvis said, adding Premier has shifted its focus to growing juice fruit because of canker.

Researchers, including several at the UF, are testing the best methods to control psyllids with pesticides. UF research associate Pasco Avery said the first biopesticide effective against psyllids should become available to growers later this year.

“We’ll try any a tool in the box that we can use because this greening is the real problem going forward,” Jarvis said.

Stan Carter, division manager of McArthur Farms in St. Lucie County and chairman of the board of the Indian River Citrus League, said the biggest problem is getting money for research and getting government agencies to cooperate in solving the problem.

“There’s a real war going on here and there’s a lot of fronts we’re dealing with,” said Carter, who also is in the middle of a three-year term as a grower represenative on the Florida Citrus Commission. “It’s kind of like putting a puzzle together blindfolded. We go down a lot of blind alleys but we’re making progress.”