Can CRISPR Save Florida Citrus?
Friday Jan 1st, 2021
News Reporter Here with your Southeast Regional Ag Report, I’m Tim Hammerich.
It’s nearly impossible to talk about the Florida citrus industry in 2020, without at least mentioning citrus greening disease. Otherwise known as huanglongbing, citrus greening is spread by the asian citrus psyllid which serves as a vector for the disease.
Citrus greening has done enormous damage to the Florida citrus industry despite years of research to try to develop effective management tools. Scientists are now hopeful that CRISPR can help. The tool for editing genomes, allows breeders to select for very specific traits, and iterate more quickly.