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| Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture |
Oranges are turning green? A disease called citrus greening
is damaging the groves where Florida grows their state fruit. The disease
involves bacteria that prevent the tree from getting the proper nutrients, and
in turn affect the ripening of the fruit. Citrus greening is said to have
originated in China, and has since made its way to trees in Africa, the Arabian
Peninsula, Asia and Brazil. When asked
what the result would be if the disease was ignored, Florida Senator Bill
Nelson replied, “We’ll
end up paying $5 for an orange – and it’ll have to be one imported from
someplace else.”
The disease is transmitted by an insect called
the Asian citrus psyllid. Washington State University molecular biologist and
biochemist David Gang, along with a team, is working on a way to alter the
insect and create a ‘nupsyllid’. Nupsyllid is another way of saying ‘new
psyllid’, which refers to an insect called a psyllid that leaps and feeds on
plant juices. The nupsyllid is believed to defeat and get rid of the disease
all together. For the full article go to WSU News Center.
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