Poster: Biology & Disease Mgmt: Cultural Control
303-P
Status of Huanglongbing (HLB) (citrus greening) Multi Agency Coordination (MAC) projects on thermal treatment of citrus trees with citrus greening
D. KOMM (1), D. Komm (2), R. Ehsani (3) (1) USDA PPQ CPHST, U.S.A.; (2) USDA, U.S.A.; (3) Univeristy of Florida, U.S.A.
Citrus trees infected with ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, subjected to heat treatments, have shown an improvement in citrus yields and vigor. Thermal treatment equipment for all sizes of citrus trees is being developed and improved for citrus trees infected with ‘Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus’. Two MAC projects are contributing to the development and improvement of thermal treatment equipment for all sizes of citrus trees infected with this pathogen. Researchers involved in the first project have developed a mobile physical system using steam to prolong the productive life of citrus trees eight feet tall and smaller. This system uses a tent canopy that goes over the tree followed by steam treatment. Second project has developed a mobile thermotherapy system for citrus trees as tall as thirty feet. The entire system supports a tent canopy that continuously treats as it progresses in the row without stopping the steam treatment. Both projects have successfully heat-treated grove trees infected with HLB. There have been improvements in the thermal equipment to provide a fully functional mobile steaming system for immediate use on all sizes of trees for commercial treatments.