Files
Abstract
Huanglongbing (HLB), is caused by ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), andvectored by the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP). HLB represents a major concern for the continued
growth of Georgia's citrus industry. To further assess this potential threat, six commercial groves
from Georgia were selected based on previous CLas detections in nearby areas for surveys during
2023 and 2024 to determine the in-grove distribution of CLas. Six groves were also selected for
monitoring the prevalence of ACP. Among the 804 citrus trees tested, 35 (4.35%) located in
clusters of four groves in Wayne, Ware and Pierce counties were determined to be CLas positive.
ACP were only recovered from Pierce County, and 14 out of 127 (11%) tested positive for CLas
via qPCR. Analysis of the CLas 16S rDNA region revealed no major variations; however, nine
strains were associated with prophage type 1, while five had type 1-2.