The sweet scent of orange blossoms that has filled the spring air of Cyprus for generations may only be a memory.
This week, as state plant health experts inspected the Akaki citrus grove, they discovered a tiny harbinger of disaster: an insect known to carry what has become the most devastating citrus disease in history. Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening disease. Although the disease itself has not yet been detected in Cyprus, the presence of its vector signals a threat to the island's citrus trees.
It is known that the disease is caused by a bacterium of the genus Candidatus Liberibacter, which parasitizes the sap-conducting vessels, the phloem. When faced with bacteria, trees produce callose, a polysaccharide that accumulates in blood vessels and clogs them. As a result, the products of photosynthesis are not distributed throughout the tree. After a long asymptomatic phase, internal damage appears as yellow spots on the leaves. The color of the fruit changes and a bitter taste appears. The branches are dying. Starting on one branch, the symptoms gradually spread to the entire tree. After a few years, clogged vessels inevitably lead to the death of trees. Despite more than $2 billion spent on research worldwide, scientists have yet to find a cure.
The numbers are staggering. Florida, once the world's largest citrus producer, has lost 90 percent of its production. From 240 million boxes of oranges in 2004, production has fallen to just 44.5 million by 2022. Brazil, the world's largest producer, has lost half its trees despite spraying its orchards with pesticides up to 48 times a year - a desperate measure that has created its own public health crisis.
The economic consequences were severe. Orange juice prices have doubled in many markets. Fresh citrus fruits are becoming a luxury item. Global losses exceed $30 billion, and the disease continues to spread.
If Cyprus does not take any measures, then the same fate awaits it. However, these measures can only be successful if they are implemented comprehensively throughout the island. The effectiveness of any quarantine or control strategy depends on island-wide coordination. Technical cooperation between north and south is of paramount importance.
The European Union's Green Line Regulation already provides a framework for agricultural cooperation. This framework could be expanded to establish specific disease prevention and control protocols similar to successful cross-border agricultural protection programs in other divided regions.
We must also abandon the failed pesticide approaches used elsewhere and instead adopt biological control methods and habitat diversification strategies that have shown promise in other regions. Research institutions and monitoring programs must be established on both sides of the island, with shared data and resources maximizing the collective ability to detect and respond to threats.
The discovery of Asian citrus psyllids in a Cypriot citrus grove last week signals an impending threat to the Cyprus citrus industry. These insects are known vectors of huanglongbing (HLB), a disease that has devastated citrus production worldwide, causing more than $30 billion in losses.
Key points:
Disease vector confirmed in Cyprus Disease incurable despite $2 billion spent on research 90 percent of Florida's citrus industry already destroyed Cyprus has limited time to prepare defense Urgent island-wide cooperation needed to prevent
Source: cyprus-mail.com
