Developing Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) Management Strategies Based on the Severity of Symptoms in HLB-Endemic Citrus-Producing Regions

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as greening, is a destructive disease caused by the fastidious, phloem-colonizing bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter spp.; 'Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las) is the most prevalent of the species causing HLB. The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina citri) transmits Las. HLB is threatening citrus production worldwide, and there is no cure for infected trees. Management strategies targeting diseased trees at different stages of colonization by Las are needed for sustainable citrus production in HLB-endemic regions. We evaluated the effect of the combinations of plant defense elicitors, nitrogen (N) fertilizer, and compost on mildly diseased trees. We tested thermotherapy on severely diseased trees and assessed tree protectors to prevent feeding by ACP, thus preventing Las from being transmitted to new plantings that replaced HLB-moribund trees. After four applications over two consecutive growing seasons we found that the combination of compost, urea, and plant defense elicitors beta-aminobutyric acid, plus ascorbic acid and potassium phosphite with or without salicylic acid, slowed down the progression of HLB and reduced disease severity by approximately 18%, compared with the untreated control. Our data showed no decline in fruit yield, indeed treatment resulted in a higher yield compared with the untreated control. Thermotherapy treatment (55 degrees C for 2 min) exhibited a suppressive effect on growth of Las and progress of HLB in severely diseased trees for 2 to 3 months after treatment. The tree protectors prevented feeding by ACP, and therefore young replant trees remained healthy and free from infection by Las over the 2-year duration of the experiment. Taken together, these results may contribute to a basis for developing a targeted approach to control HLB based on stage of host colonization, application of plant defense elicitors, N fertilizer, compost, thermotherapy, and tree protectors. There is potential to implement these strategies in conjunction with other disease control measures to contribute to sustainable citrus production in HLB-endemic regions.