This project aims to develop environmentally safe, effective biological control for citrus canker and citrus black spot diseases

This Cooperative Agreement award of $194,921, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025), aims to develop environmentally safe and effective biological control methods for citrus canker and citrus black spot diseases. The award to Texas A&M University-Kingsville will support activities such as isolating and culturing candidate beneficial microbes, preparing and applying microbial delivery media to greenhouse citrus plants, and evaluating plant health, disease progression, and establishment of citrus greening (HLB) control. Key deliverables include providing cultures of candidate microbes and a summary report on the research methods and findings. If successful, this approach could provide commercial citrus growers with a naturally-occurring, non-regulated, organic means to combat HLB disease.

Activities will include isolation and culture of candidate beneficial microbes, preparation and application of microbial delivery media to greenhouse citrus plants, and evaluation of plant response in terms of plant health, clas establishment, and HLB disease progression. Deliverables to aphis PPQ will include cultures of candidate microbes delivered and a report summarizing the culture methods, supplementation methods, experimental methods and results of plant studies. This work will evaluate a potential new approach to suppressing clas spread and/or suppressing clas impact on citrus production. If successful, this approach will provide commercial citrus growers a naturally-occurring, non-regulated, organic approach to fight HLB disease.