Maintain and monitor previously established groves for growth and productivity as citrus greening AF fects the texas citrus industry

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded a $416,889 Cooperative Agreement to Texas Citrus Pest & Disease Management Corp Inc. on October 1, 2025, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025).

The award funds maintenance and monitoring of established citrus groves in Texas to assess management strategies for citrus greening disease control. The recipient will maintain current research sites and conduct data collection comparing the effectiveness of grove floor management, vector exclusion, host tolerance, and budwood production approaches. Deliverables include data contributions, grower field days, and project reports summarizing results to APHIS. Results will be shared with Texas citrus growers and the broader industry, with stakeholder briefings and researcher updates disseminated through HLB MAC information channels to other citrus-producing states.

Two sub-recipients deliver components of this work. Texas A&M-Kingsville Citrus Center generates and maintains citrus budwood stocks. Texas Citrus Mutual coordinates program activities, oversees grower participation and data collection, and leads outreach deliverables.

The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, with all work performed in Texas.

The recipient will maintain current sites and undertake data collection as IT compares the influences of grove floor management, vector exclusion, host tolerance, and budwood production for the management of citrus greening. Delive rables include data contributions, grower field days, and project reports summarizing results to aphis. While texas citrus growers and the broader texas citrus industry are the primary beneficiaries of these results, stakeholders and researchers from other citrus producing states will also be briefed through HLB MAC information channels. There are two subrecipients of this award, including the texas a &m-kingsville citrus center, which will generate and maintain citrus budwood; and texas citrus mutual, which will coordinate program activities, oversee grower participation and data collection, and lead outreach deliverables.