Florida's orange production has reduced by 92.5% since 2006, mainly due to a disease called citrus greening. "However, it can take months or even years for the symptoms to become visible," says Van der Wolf. The fruits of an infected plant can be hard and deformed, and the juice is too bitter. The fruits remain green at the top rather than turning orange, which is how the disease gets its common name of citrus greening. Lina Russ now leads the HLB research at Wageningen since Van der Wolf’s retirement last year.

Source: Irish Examiner April 08, 2026 20:08 UTC