Journal of Citrus Pathology

There have been limited studies and documentation of how long a mature Florida orange tree can remain commercially viable after expressing initial symptoms of the HLB disease. This study focuses on understanding the distribution and spread of HLB symptoms on newly symptomatic, mature trees and the association of these symptoms with the presence of the Candidatus Liberibacter asisticus (Las) bacterium in the various sectors of a tree. The investigation of this process will lead to a better understanding of how long HLB-infected trees can survive under conventional grove practices and, possibly, to better management decisions on tree elimination.