Eminent Scholar and Professor University of Florida Gainesville, Florida
The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, vectors the causative agent of citrus greening disease, which has devastated citrus production on a global scale. As the application of chemical insecticides has proven both ineffective and unsustainable, we investigated the potential use of the bacteria-derived pesticidal protein, Cry1Ba1, when delivered via transgenic citrus plants. We produced transgenic plants of Indian curry leaf for potential use as a trap plant, Duncan grapefruit, Valencia sweet orange and Carrizo citrange for expression of Cry1Ba1. In bioassays, significant reductions in the survival of adult psyllids were noted on some transgenic plant varieties but not others, reflecting the susceptibility of these citrus varieties to psyllid feeding. Damage to the gut epithelium of psyllids fed on transgenic plants was consistent with Cry1Ba1 toxicity. The potential use of transgenic citrus and transgenic trap plants for management of D. citri toward mitigating the impacts of citrus greening will be discussed.
