Ninety percent of lemons in Israel are grown in the Western Negev; and 40% of the total citrus. Lemons flush 4-5 times a year, meaning that young shoots are produced often. These tender shoots are the most vulnerable to the insect that transmits the citrus greening pathogen, which is now moving eastward from Portugal. The results presented here are a new means of early detection of citrus greening to protect this vulnerable crop.
Ninety percent of lemons in Israel are grown in the Western Negev; and 40% of the total citrus. Lemons flush 4-5 times a year, meaning that young shoots are produced often. These tender shoots are the most vulnerable to the insect that transmits the citrus greening pathogen, which is now moving eastward from Portugal. The results presented here are a new means of early detection of citrus greening to protect this vulnerable crop.