Panorama of citrus canker in the United States

Abstract

This review summarizes the current status of citrus canker in the United States. The disease is present in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. In Florida, the eradication program ended in 2006 and now citrus canker is endemic to many citrus-growing areas, although it is still possible to find canker-free groves. In endemic areas, the disease is controlled using windbreaks, applying copper-based bactericides, controlling the citrus leafminer, and applying systemic plant activators. In Louisiana, citrus canker was identified in 2013, the first time since the 1940s, and has since been identified in 10 of the parishes where plant material and fruit are not allowed to leave the quarantine areas. There are no eradication efforts in Louisiana and removal of trees is voluntary. Finally, citrus canker resurfaced in Texas in 2015 and has been detected in several locations. Currently only the type A W strain is present in Texas and quarantine efforts are being taken to mitigate the risk of introduction of the type A strain into the state.

Global challenges facing plant pathology: multidisciplinary approaches to meet the food security and environmental challenges in the mid-twenty-first century

“…Quarantine, using sentinel trap plants, molecular diagnostics or canines to detect an organism may all currently be used, but the challenge to develop novel tools that may be part of early detection, warning and management to increase the effectiveness of dealing with exotic diseases is a challenge (Gottwald et al 2019). Also managing a disease once identified may require complex coordination of resources and the support of local communities, and the environment, that can otherwise derail eradication efforts as happened with citrus canker in Florida (Gottwald et al 2002;Gochez et al 2020). Research to establish the pathogen spread, survival and dispersal of propagules using existing and novel tools will be paramount to minimize impact of exotic pathogens.…”

Persister Cells Form in the Plant Pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri under Different Stress Conditions

“…citri is one of the most devastating diseases found in citrus-growing areas [ 1 , 2 ]. Despite successful eradication programs in Florida (USA) [ 3 ] and Sao Paulo (Brazil) [ 2 ], these two major orange producers in the world face constant citrus canker epidemics [ 4 , 5 ]. For different reasons, both eradication programs were halted in Brazil and Florida [ 6 ]; hence, the citrus canker has increased substantially in these areas, and now growers are expected to live with this disease endemically [ 2 ].…”

“…For different reasons, both eradication programs were halted in Brazil and Florida [ 6 ]; hence, the citrus canker has increased substantially in these areas, and now growers are expected to live with this disease endemically [ 2 ]. There is no cure, and chemical control is limited to the application of cupric compounds [ 4 , 7 ], which also have limited effectiveness [ 8 ]. Therefore, strict management practices are essential to keep field levels of X. citri at low levels [ 2 , 5 ].…”

Overexpression of CsSAMT in Citrus sinensis Induces Defense Response and Increases Resistance to Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri

“…Citrus canker is a severe bacterial disease caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri , which affects all commercial citrus cultivars and causes extensive economic damage worldwide ( Gochez et al, 2020 ; Martins et al, 2020 ; Behlau, 2021 ). Most commercial sweet orange cultivars are moderately to highly susceptible to citrus canker ( de Carvalho et al, 2015 ; Mei et al, 2020 ).…”