Citrus producers are having a hard time

Dr. Mine Erdal, Lecturer and Plant Protection Specialist at the Department of Plant Production and Technologies, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies of Cyprus International University (CIU), stated that citrus fruits are under great threat due to the Citrus Greening disease experienced throughout the TRNC.
Pointing out that the disease in question is seen in almost every region of the TRNC, Erdal also informed that serious studies are being carried out in this context to combat the disease.
Erdal noted that citrus greening disease is one of the most devastating citrus diseases in the world, adding, “The disease, which affects all citrus trees (bitter orange, tangerine, grapefruit, etc.), also poses a major threat to the citrus industry because it reduces fruit yield. 
Explaining that the main agent of the disease is Candidatus Liberibacter which causes the inability to culture bacteria but whose presence can be revealed using molecular methods, Erdal said, “The disease is transmitted in citrus production areas or between countries by vector insects or infected grafting buds.”
Erdal stated that once a tree is infected, there is no effective control or treatment for the disease, adding, “This disease does not pose a threat to humans or animals, but it can destroy all types of citrus trees such as orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, kumquat, tangerine and orange jasmine.”
Pointing out that infected trees produce particularly misshapen, unmarketable and bitter fruits, Erdal also noted that the quantity and quality of citrus fruits may also decrease.
Erdal stated that the first symptoms can be observed as severe symptoms 1-5 years after the onset of the disease, depending on the bacterial density on the tree during the infection period, and underlined that as the severity of the disease increases, that is, within 7-10 years, there will be no financial gain from citrus production.
Noting that scientists think the disease agent is transmitted through the salivary ducts of the vector insect, Erdal said that the first colonization begins in new tree shoots that emerge in the spring months and that this period is known to be the period when the disease is transmitted the most.