Project Number: 6618-21000-013-19
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: May 01, 2009
End Date: Apr 30, 2014

Objective:
Huanglongbing (HLB) is a citrus disease of great economic importance in Florida. The disease is considered to be the most severe disease of citrus where it occurs and has the potential to devastate the Florida industry. The control measures that are currently available are commercially unacceptable over the long term, unproven and ultimately not sustainable. Additionally, there are no known sources of genetic resistance. Therefore, the near term prospects of developing resistant cultivars through conventional breeding are not promising. Test possible antimicrobial peptides in in-vitro assays against the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and against surrogate alphaproteobacter species closely related to the causal organism of HLB, and against the causal agent of citrus canker to determine the potential of the peptides against the tests organisms and ultimately to produce resistance plants.

Approach:
Cooperator will pretest for purity and supply to ARS twenty different peptides that through its consultant accompany AgroMed has reason to believe may be effective against HLB, the ACP and citrus canker. Trials will be conducted and assays against HLB and causal organism of citrus canker.