Biological control of Huanglongbing by the bacterium Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN

Novel solutions are needed to protect California citrus growers from threats imposed by the state’s current HLB epidemic. One solution is the use of microorganisms that antagonize the CLas pathogen by triggering tree defenses. We propose to test the potential of the bacterium Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN (PsJN) as a biocontrol agent of CLas. Justification for this approach is the recent demonstration that PsJN significantly reduced pathogen titer and disease symptoms of grapevines challenged with Pierce’s disease. If successful, the research proposed here offers an economical means to lessen the impact of CLas on citrus trees and curb the spread of CLas within and between citrus trees.