A tonic for citrus research

With a wave of disease threatening citrus fruit production in the Caribbean, it is no wonder that a regional seminar on the topic in Guadeloupe in December 2000 was well attended and intensely followed. In addition to significant levels of domestic consumption throughout the region, citrus fruits are in heavy demand in the tourist trade, and for export to the markets of northern America and western Europe. At present there are four diseases which are seriously afflicting or threatening the citrus sector: the Tristeza virus; the CVC virus or citrus variegated chlorisis, which is spread by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (see Spore 90); Huanglobing (Greening) this has reached Guadeloupe, and ravaged crops in Florida in the United States during 2000; and citrus canker (Xanthomonas campestris). Among the key issues addressed by the seminar was the special position of many countries in the region; given their small size, they have very little resources, staff or equipment to identify, diagnose and monitor the diseases. In this light, the participants calls were for greater information sharing, the development of common diagnostic tools, and the distribution of such tools through the World Wide Web, which has a relatively high level of usage in much of the region. A special role could be played here, it was thought, by the Inter-American Citrus Network (IACNET). The seminar brought together 42 participants from 17 countries in the region, with representatives of the three key regional bodies involved, namely CARDI, IACNET, and IICA. It was co-organised by CIRAD and CTA. [caption to illustration] The intracellular bacteria cause Huanglobing, depriving the plant of minerals and stunting fruit growthWith a wave of disease threatening citrus fruit production in the Caribbean, it is no wonder that a regional seminar on the topic in Guadeloupe in December 2000 was well attended and intensely followed.In addition to significant levels of domestic..