TEHRAN, May 05 -A new machine being developed in Florida might provide another weapon against the spread of citrus greening disease, which has decimated crops worldwide.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -The automated system would help detect and count the tiny pin-sized bugs that carry the disease, also called Huanglongbing or HLB. It would then give farmers a map of where the bugs have shown up in their fields, allowing for targeted precise insecticide spraying.
The device, known as an Automated Psyllid Detection System, is under development at University of Florida's agricultural research station in Immokalee.
Orange grove owners like Francisco Pines are paying close attention to any new research or tools that could give them a leg up on the devastating blight. The disease entered Florida in 2005 and now is spreading in California. It is widespread in Brazil and China, among other locations.
"It sounds viable. We have not used that, but I'm hopeful we could have something like that and I'm hopeful we will overcome this problem," said Pines, who is also a lawyer and commissioner with the state's Department of Citrus. His family operation in Highlands County has about 2,000 acres of citrus.
Citrus growers are looking for any advantage to control psyllids. The bugs, which originated in Asia, carry the HLB bacteria. According to the University of Florida, citrus production volume in the state declined by 71 percent from 2000 to 2017, primarily due to losses from greening.
Citrus greening affects all types of commercially grown citrus. In Florida, that is chiefly oranges and grapefruit.
Source: upi
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