Author Topic: New Attack on Citrus Greening - Nano Technology  (Read 1936 times)

Millet

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New Attack on Citrus Greening - Nano Technology
« on: August 21, 2014, 09:23:53 AM »
These are very challenging times for Florida's citrus farmers.  Experts forecast Florida will have its smallest orange crop this year in forty-nine years.  Analysts say the citrus greening disease is destroying our orange groves.   University of Central Florida researchers are using nano science, trying to save our oranges.

Citrus greening started killing Florida orange trees in 2005 and it's been spreading all across our state ever since. It is a huge threat to Florida's nine billion dollar citrus industry.

“Once the trees are confirmed infected, then those trees will die eventually,” said Dr. Swadeshmukul  Santra.  He runs the Santra Research Group at UCF's Nano Science Technology Center.  His research team is working in UCF labs, trying to use tiny science to stop two huge problems.  They are citrus canker and citrus greening. 

Dr. Santra says they have to win this battle within three to five years.  He adds, “The reason is about 95 to 98 percent of the groves in Florida have been infected by greening. “

The team creates formulas to kill the bacteria which cause citrus greening and citrus canker.  They use nano science to design particles so small that they are the size of basic proteins, and they can move through the tissue of the orange tree attacking the citrus greening bacteria.

Dr. Santra talked about their strategy.  “So any therapies that we would like to design have to work systemically, that is from within.” Mikaeel Young has been working with Dr. Santra for three years, trying to perfect the best combination of bacteria attacking formulas. Young explains, “Some are metallic based materials that you could use to kill the species. Some are organic based, so they rupture the cell membrane of the bacteria.  Some are a combination of multiple mechanisms.”

Dr. Santra tells FOX 35 News if everything goes well in the laboratories, the products to kill citrus greening and citrus canker could be available in commercial markets within two to three years.

karpes

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Re: New Attack on Citrus Greening - Nano Technology
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2014, 10:09:31 PM »
Millet
Reading this is very troubling. With 95-98% of the citrus trees infected then I have to deduce that the citrus industry in Florida is gone. Two to three years for a cure would sound like an eternity for the citrus growers. I suspect that most of them will turn to other crops until a solution is found. Once they make the transition to an alternate crop, I would think that they would not return to growing citrus unless the profits are driven up by the lack of  citrus juice. Sad!!

Millet

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Re: New Attack on Citrus Greening - Nano Technology
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2014, 02:33:47 PM »
Karl, it is very sad.  The major problem with Greening disease is that a citrus tree infected with Greening disease, shows no symptoms for two years. All the while psyllids can feed on disease trees and then fly to tree after tree infecting them, and the grower does not know which of his trees are diseased and which are not. Because the first psyllids have only been recently found in California, no one knows how many California citrus trees are, or are not, already infected with greening.  The big scare will begin to show up in a year or so.  Here in Colorado, a psyllid can not survive our cold winters.  My greenhouse trees will supply my family with citrus for years to come. - Millet

fruitmentor

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Re: New Attack on Citrus Greening - Nano Technology
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2014, 02:52:14 AM »
Actually there is reason to be optimistic in California as new testing technology is being tested within the HLB quarantine zone. As for Florida, it may all be over for homeowners. However, big growers will be able to replant using the techniques pioneered in Brazil.  You can read about it here:

http://www.fruitmentor.com/growing-citrus-after-greening