Indirect testing methods can be an important procedure for early detection of huanglongbing (HLB) disease in California.
At a recent HLB technology summit, researchers talked about some indirect testing methods that could be crucial in helping catch the disease early in the industry. University of California Davis professor Carolyn Slupsky talked about some of those methods and research developing new early detection techniques.
More on indirect testing
From UCANR: Finding HLB-infected trees and eliminating them before ACP picks up the disease and spreads it to neighboring trees is a major challenge. The pathogen in the tree cannot be detected by leaf testing for three to nine months after infection, and the symptoms don’t show up in the tree for a year or more after infection. Meanwhile, the disease can be spread by ACP. Research is under way to develop early HLB detection so that infected trees can be rapidly removed. Read more from UCANR