The EU is free of HLB, but for how long?

Published 2023년 9월 5일

Tridge summary

The Mediterranean and the EU are currently the only major citrus production areas that have not been severely affected by HLB, a devastating disease caused by Candidatus liberibacter bacteria. However, this situation is now under threat due to the expansion of the insect vector Trioza erytreae in northern Spain and along the Atlantic coast of Portugal, as well as the presence of Diaphorina citri, an efficient carrier of the most aggressive strain of HLB, in Cyprus and Israel. This has led to calls for increased prevention measures, research on biological control methods, and stricter controls on the introduction of plant material in the EU.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The Mediterranean and the EU continue to be the only large citrus production area that resists suffering from the presence of the most devastating disease, which is caused by the bacteria Candidatus liberibacter that causes Huanglongbing or HLB (also known as Greening or 'Dragon yellow'). But this situation is now doubly threatened by the increasing risk of having both HLB carriers. On the one hand, due to the already known expansion in northern Spain and along almost the entire Atlantic coast of Portugal of Trioza erytreae – the insect vector of the 'more benevolent' African strain of HLB. On the other hand, and now due to the presence, for the first time in EU territory, of Diaphorina citri, which is the Asian psyllid that is the most efficient carrier of the most aggressive and lethal strain for citrus fruits. This has just been confirmed in its latest report by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), which indicates that the insect has been located ...

Source: Agrodigital