Huanlongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, caused by the pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), is among the most devastating diseases faced by the citrus industry in the United States. The long-term goal of this project is to develop effective, organic IPM strategies to control ACP and HLB. This grant convened organic citrus farmers, researchers, educators, and industry representatives to evaluate current organic strategies, identify research priorities and currently available technologies, and develop a full OREI proposal to tackle HLB and ACP in US organic citrus production.

A 12-member advisory group of farmers, processors, researchers, service providers, and representatives from Florida Organic Growers (FOG), California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), and the Organic Trade Association (OTA) guided the project. The advisory group developed and distributed a nationwide survey of citrus farmers and other stakeholders to better understand organic citrus challenges and management strategies. Findings of the survey were presented in a two-day virtual workshop on organic HLB control and provided the basis for developing a full OREI proposal, entitled Systems approach to organic management of the Asian citrus psyllid, which was funded in 2022.