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 Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research: Fort Pierce, FL
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ARS Home Southeast Area Fort Pierce, Florida U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research Research





- Rosskopf, Erin
- Plotto, Anne
- 2023
- 2022
- 2021
- 2020
- Plant Diseases (303)
- Crop Production (305)

Research Project: **Location:
                            Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research** Project Number: 6034-21000-019-000-D
                        
                        Project Type: In-House Appropriated Start Date: Mar 18, 2020
                        
                        End Date: Mar 17, 2025 **Objective:**
                        
                        Objective 1: Determine genetic and horticultural inputs that provide superior citrus production and quality under endemic HLB disease pressure. [NP 305, Component 1,Problem Statement lB]
• Sub objective 1a. Evaluate susceptibility of standard and novel citrus scion and rootstock combinations in grower-cooperator trials.
• Sub objective 1b. Determine the effects of prophylactic treatments on prevention of HLB.
• Sub objective 1c. Determine effects of pre-plant soil treatments on citrus tree health and productivity.
Objective 2: Investigate plant physiology and symptoms during disease development to design rational approaches for treatment. [NP 305, Component 1, Problem Statement lB
Sub objective 2a: Determine the effects of CLas infection on photosynthesis and carbon partitioning in citrus. **Approach:**
                        
                        This project includes field plot, greenhouse and laboratory components to evaluate factors related to citrus susceptibility to Huanglongbing disease.
Field plots will be conducted with grower cooperators to evaluate performance of scion/rootstock combinations for susceptibility to Huanglongbing disease under commercial management systems. Some such trial were established in the previous project and data collection will continue in the current project.  New plantings will also be established in the current project.  Citrus is a long term crop that does not begin to produce fruit until three to four years after planting.  During the first three years of the experiments, tree mortality is really the only metric for tree performance.  When trees come into bearing yield and fruit quality data will be collected.
Greenhouse trials will be conducted to determine the efficacy of prophylactic treatments to prevent Haunglongbing disease.  In the previous project realistic model system including citrus, Asian citrus psyllids and Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus.  This model has a small foot print and is rapid, and robust.  Numerous therapeutic treatments to mitigate Huanglongbing symptoms, but there have been none of these treatments have proven efficacious.  In this project trees will be treated prior to transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus by Asian citrus psyllids.  The hypothesis is that preventing the establishment of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus will be effective whereas therapeutic treatments have unsuccessful.  Data will be collected to determine the effects of treatments on incidence of Candidatus Liberibacter infection incidence and titer, growth and development of Huanglongbing symptoms.  If promising treatments are identified in the greenhouse, small scale field trails will be established to determine efficacy of these treatments in the field.
Grower cooperator trials will also be established to determine if anaerobic soil disinfestation, a treatment that alters the soil microbiome and has proven beneficial for some annual crops and may improve the growth of newly planted citrus trees.  Data collection will be as described for the scion/rootstock evaluations.
Greenhouse trials will also be conducted to determine how citrus leaf ontogeny relates to the development of Huanglongbing symptoms.  It is apparent that it is only the very youngest of citrus leaves is where transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus.  Anatomical changes that develop very early following Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus will be investigated using light and electron microscopic evaluation.  In addition, because Huanglongbing is characterized by massive accumulation of starch, the effects of Candidatus Liberibacter on photosynthetic activity will be determined by quantifying starch accumulation.   The effect of infection on the rate of carbon dioxide fixation (photosynthesis) will be determined using commercially available instrumentation.  Carbon partitioning (dry weight) following infection will also be investigated by determining root and shoot dry weights post infection.


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