Impact of Citrus Greening on Citrus Operations in Florida

Huanglongbing (also known as HLB or citrus greening) is a disease affecting citrus production all over the globe. Citrus greening affects all citrus cultivars and causes tree decline, a serious threat to Florida's citrus industry. The disease is believed to be caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. The Asian citrus psyllid transmits the bacterium and is found throughout Florida.

The UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) is the oldest and largest off-campus experiment station in UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and is unique among research centers in that it focuses entirely on one commodity, citrus. [website]

FRE departmental programs reflect the diversity of Florida's agriculture which has more than 200 commodities. The Department has 40 faculty members involved in a full range of research, extension, and teaching programs including Agribusiness and Consumer Behavior, International Development, Natural Resources and Environmental Economics, Marine Resource Economics, and Agricultural Economics, Trade, and Policy. In addition to 33 faculty members located at the main campus in Gainesville, seven faculty are found at research and education centers located throughout the state.