Prophylactic treatments to prevent HLB

If nascent CLas infections can be arrested prior to proliferation and systemic movement it will be possible to prevent development of HLB symptoms. To date, most research regarding the effects of chemical treatments on CLas affected trees has been conducted with trees in advance stages of HLB decline and essentially no beneficial treatments have been identified. Prevention of HLB disease development will allow mature citrus trees to maintain productivity, but perhaps of greater importance, allow for the establishment of new plantings, even if ACP and CLas become endemic. If efficacious compounds are identified and prove successful in the orchard it could mean the difference between survival and death of the California citrus industry.