Homobrassinolide Delays Huanglongbing Progression in Newly Planted Citrus (Citrus sinensis) Trees
Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, is a devastating disease impacting citrus trees worldwide, with severe effects particularly noted in Florida. Current strategies to combat HLB focus on aggressive replanting, despite the high susceptibility of young trees to infection. In this context, it...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
MDPI
2024
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/8866 https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/9/1229 |
| Sumario: | Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, is a devastating disease impacting citrus trees
worldwide, with severe effects particularly noted in Florida. Current strategies to combat HLB focus
on aggressive replanting, despite the high susceptibility of young trees to infection. In this context,
it is critical to explore agronomic practices that can enhance the health and resistance of young
citrus trees to HLB. Here, we demonstrate that treatment with homobrassinolide (HBr), a type of
brassinosteroid, in newly planted citrus (Citrus sinensis) trees can delay HLB infection and improve
tree health amidst the high psyllid pressure conditions endemic to Florida. Our study reveals a
significant reduction in HLB infection rates in HBr-treated trees compared to control trees, with only
25% of treated trees testing positive for HLB by six months, in contrast to 100% infection in untreated
trees. This delay in infection may be attributed to HBr inducing an immune response and negatively
impacting psyllid performance, as subsequently demonstrated in a greenhouse experiment. Our
findings suggest that HBr applications could serve as a viable strategy to enhance the resilience of
citrus production against HLB, underscoring the need for further investigation into their mechanisms
of action and potential role in a comprehensive pest and disease management strategy. |
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