Cultural Management of Huanglongbing: Current Status and Ongoing Research

Abstract

Huanglongbing (HLB), formerly known as greening, is a bacterial disease restricted to some Asian and African regions until two decades ago. Nowadays, causing bacteria and their vectors have spread to almost all citrus producing regions, and it is currently considered the most devastating citrus disease. HLB management can be approached in terms of prevention, limiting or avoiding pathogen and associated vectors to reach an area, or in terms of control, trying to reduce the impact of the disease by adopting different cultural strategies depending on infestation/infection levels. In both cases, control of psyllid populations is currently the best way to stop HLB spread. Best cultural actions (CHMAs, TPS system) to attain this goal and thus, able to limit HLB spread, and ongoing research in this regard is summarized in this review.