Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research project is to survey insect vectors and plant tissues for the presence of Huanglongbing citrus disease in Rio Grande Valley, manage the USDA certified detection laboratory and develop more efficient, cheaper and more accurate methods for detecting HLB in plant and insect tissues.

Approach:
Individual samples of citrus leaf and Asian Citrus Psyllids are analyzed using PCR molecular techniques. The technique currently assigns risk scores, and suspect samples are forwarded to USDA laboratories in Maryland for further analysis. Research to improve the current technique will focus on reducing the time between infection and its detection in plant tissues, and the reduction in false positives in leaf tissue. Techniques other than PCR analysis will be explored.