Americans might soon need to get used to apple or grape juice as their breakfast drink of choice — unless, that is, they’re willing to pay exorbitant prices for orange juice. Or maybe scientists, plant breeders and farmers will manage to save the day, using two critical but often-disparaged technologies: chemical pesticides in the short run and genetic engineering in the longer term.
The pestilence that is devastating Florida citrus is a disease called citrus greening. It is caused by a bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, which is spread by small insects called psyllids. There is no known cure, but it can be slowed by frequent spraying with large amounts of chemical pesticides.
Read the full, original story here: “Saving the orange tree”
