Scientists at UC Riverside University in California, United States, have found a treatment that can control the Citrus Greening Disease that is devastating Florida citrus farms and also threatening California.
In the new treatment, a naturally occurring molecule found in wild citrus plants effectively kills disease-causing bacteria. Being an antimicrobial peptide, this molecule offers many advantages over the antibiotics currently used to treat the disease.
UCR geneticist Hailing Jin, who discovered the treatment after five years of research, explained that unlike antibiotic sprays, the peptide is stable, easy to manufacture, and safe for humans even when used outdoors at high temperatures.
Stating that this peptide is found in the fruit of Australian finger limes tolerant to greening disease, Jin said; He said that this natural product is much safer than other synthetic chemicals.
Currently, some growers in Florida apply antibiotics and pesticides to trees to get rid of the CLas bacteria that causes citrus greening, also known as Citrus Huanglongbing Disease or HLB.
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Saying that the effects of most antibiotics decrease in hot weather, as most antibiotics are sensitive to temperature, Jin stated that the effects of this peptide continue even at 130 degrees.
Jin, who found the peptide by studying plants such as Australian finger lime, which is known to have natural tolerance to the bacteria that cause Citrus Greening Disease, also isolated the genes that contribute to this natural immunity. He then produced the peptide he tested for two years with one of the genes he isolated. Saying that this peptide provides a visible improvement in a short time, Jil; He noted that the bacteria were greatly reduced and the leaves looked healthy again just a few months after the treatment.
The peptide, which needs to be applied several times a year, is very cost-effective for growers.
Since this peptide can induce the plant's innate immunity against bacteria, it can also be developed as a vaccine-like solution to protect young healthy plants from infection.
With the foliar application by spraying, the peptide will remain stable by moving systematically between plants and its effect will become stronger.