Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute Plant health Citrus pathology Citrus Pathology EMAI houses the major citrus pathology laboratory in Australia, servicing the needs nationally of the citrus industry. Laboratory staff identify specimens of citrus diseases and disorders sent from all over Australia and advise on control measures. Interceptions of illegally imported citrus material with disease symptoms are sent to EMAI high security laboratories for detection, to screen against exotic pathogens. Officers of the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy collect and send citrus for testing for greening disease.
Research programs aim to improve the cost effectiveness, speed and reliability of the methods used.
Heat treatment and shoot tip grafting in vitro are used to free commercially important citrus clones of pathogens. China, Vietnam, are screened for their tolerance to root rot and tristeza disease, and characterised using molecular markers.