To combat citrus greening, a bacterial disease known as HLB with no known cure, U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL) recently led a dozen bipartisan members of the Florida congressional delegation in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to quickly conduct a science-based review of emerging technologies that could rectify the situation.
Florida’s citrus industry has faced steep declines due to HLB, compounded by recent hurricanes and freeze damage, according to the members, who say production has dropped by more than 90 percent from its peak, putting significant pressure on growers and limiting their ability to reinvest.
“Florida’s citrus industry has taken hit after hit, from greening to hurricanes to recent freeze damage, but growers are resilient and science is starting to move in the right direction,” Rep. Franklin said on Tuesday. “Innovations like these rootstock technologies and other emerging tools are giving producers confidence that a solution to greening is finally here.”
The Florida lawmakers reiterated that stance in a March 30 letter sent to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in support of advancing technologies addressing HLB, including emerging citrus rootstock, which is designed to improve disease tolerance and enable the development of trees resilient to HLB.
“Citrus rootstock technologies developed using CRISPR are designed to improve disease tolerance by modifying or “turning off” the genetic traits that make citrus trees susceptible to HLB infection,” wrote the lawmakers. “Rather than introducing foreign traits, these approaches target the plant’s existing biology to prevent the disease from taking hold and progressing.”
Such technologies represent one of the most promising paths forward by enabling the development of citrus trees with greater resilience to HLB, they wrote, noting that they can work in tandem with existing tools and provide the long-term durability needed to support commercial production.
“Florida growers are prepared to invest in over 2.5 million new trees this year alone, but that investment depends on regulatory certainty and access to solutions that can sustain productivity over time,” wrote Rep. Franklin and his colleagues. “We urge the [EPA] to move expeditiously to complete its review of this technology.”
“Growers are ready to reinvest and replant, but they need EPA to complete its review and provide a clear path forward,” added Rep. Franklin. “Timely, predictable decisions will help keep momentum going, protect jobs, and strengthen the future of this industry.”
Florida Citrus Mutual and the Florida Farm Bureau Federation support the letter, which was also signed by members including U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack (R-FL), Laurel Lee (R-FL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).