Lede:

Co-host 1: Just a few decades ago, more than half of Florida's landscape was covered in bustling

green trees filled with sweet sun-kissed oranges. Since then, the citrus industry has been through

hurricanes, freezes, canker bacteria, and whitefly infestation, but they’ve survived.

Co-host 2: Now the fate of the orange is at stake again and the industry is facing its biggest threat

yet, a disease called citrus greening.

Co-Host 1: Greening was first detected in Homestead during 2005. It has since infected up to

80 percent of Florida’s orange groves. This vital part of the state's identity and economy could

disappear forever if a solution is not found soon.

Co-host 2: In February, the 2014 Farm Bill allocated $125 million dollars in research funding

for citrus greening. With this money farmers and agricultural scientists have been conducting

trials on thermal therapies, pesticides, and bio control agents. But these are just short-term

resolutions that will only slow down the disease. Altering its DNA with a gene from a different

species could be the only chance the orange has left. Genetically modified fruit is an unsettling

idea for many consumers, but as Jane Doe reports, the clock is ticking in the race to preserve

Florida's oranges.

Beat Story:

Ambiant Sound of Benny McLean getting out of his tractor and walking through his

groves] [0:00-0:05]

REPORTER: [0:05-0:35]

Benny McLean drives his tractor through his orange groves in Clermont, Florida. Everywhere he

looks he spots another sign, another symptom. Usually by this time of year, his fruit starts

breaking color into a vibrant shade of orange. However, this year, his citrus crops are light-

yellow, they are misshapen, and no bigger than a golf-ball. Much of the fruit has already dropped

prematurely. He cuts into the fruit and the stem is off center-- a dead giveaway that his trees have

become infected with citrus greening. McLean is a fourth generation grower and the production

manager at Uncle Matts Organics, a juice company that his son started in 1999.

Benny McLean Soundbite 1: [00:45-00:55]

“Being in the citrus business as long as I’ve been, it’s like seeing one of your grandchildren with

a flu- you know right off that there’s something wrong with the tree.”

REPORTER: [00:55- 1:20]

Citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing, is thought to have originated in Asia as far back

as the late-1800’s. In 2005, the disease was discovered for the first time in the United States, at

groves in the Homestead area. Since then it has swept across the globe. Infected trees have been

found in Brazil and around the U .S. in California, Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana.

McLean explains how his groves became infected with the disease.

Benny McLean Soundbite 2: [1:20-2:15]

“This disease is spread by a little tiny psyllid. She’s an insect… and she’s very, very tiny. She is

sourcing protein in the sap of the citrus tree and she carries this bacteria in her stomach so when

she lands on a leaf starts sucking the sap she transmits bacteria into the tree. This bacteria lays

dormant for 4-6 months and then all of a sudden it’s like somebody rings a bell and this bacteria

just picks off and explodes. It gets in the xylem and the phloem tubes and overtakes the root

system so the tree is not able to send off vital nutrients to fight off the bacteria.

REPORTER: [2:16-2:37]

Once a plant is attacked by a citrus psyllid, there is no cure. The bacterium lies in the roots, and

the disease system develops, until the tree ultimately dies. It's not something that happens over

night. It can take up to two years to notice blotchy spots on the leaves, usually the first symptom

of disease. By .this time, the root system is severely affected. Trees that look perfectly healthy

may already be very sick.

Deborah Levulis, an environmental horticulturist and coordinator of the Volunteer Master

Gardener Program, outlines what will happen once a tree becomes infected.

Levulis Soundbite 1: [2:37-2:47]

“There is not much you can do if a tree has citrus greening. It’s a matter of time before citrus

trees get to a point where it’s not going to produce very much and then it’ll slowly die.”

REPORTER:

The disease has left a devastating impact on Florida’s groves. Chris Miller, Fruit and Vegetable

Extension Agent at University of Florida’s IFAS discuses the effects.

Miller Soundbite 2:

“Since it was found here in Florida, it has essentially wiped out all of the commercial citrus in

Palm Beach County and it continues to wreak havoc across the state.”

REPORTER:

Arthur Kirsten, an IFAS extension agent, says that citrus disease is driving growers out of South

Florida.

Kirsten Soundbite 1:

“The economics are simply not there. Farmers are selling their land and relocating in other

areas.”

REPORTER: [2:47-3:32]

If the disease continues to spread there will be no where left to go. According to statistics from

the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 90,000 acres of trees

have been destroyed in Florida groves. The USDA estimates that the state only produced 104.4

million boxes of oranges for the 2013-2014 growing season. In 2003, two years before greening

was discovered, 243 million boxes were picked.

Bob Roth, of Bob Roth’s New River Groves in Davie, Florida has been in the citrus industry for

50 years. He thought the worst was over after canker disease completely wiped out his citrus

crops in the 1990’s. Then citrus greening spread.

Roth Soundbite 1: [3:32-3:54]

“You get in fruit that people harvest and by the time they process it they have fifty percent

elimination because they have to take these little green oranges out that don’t mature or ripen.

Right down the line you lose 20-30 percent of the crop. It’s very upsetting to see it coming in

bins of fruit when you pay top dollar for number one quality fruit.”

REPORTER: [3:54-4:16]

These low crop yields are driving up production costs. Growers are forced to increase their prices

in order to turn a profit. Retailers are paying more money than ever, often for a much lower

quality fruit than they received ten years ago.

Kellen Haroldson, owner of Fresh Harvest Organics, plans to go overseas for product if orange

prices continue to climb.

Haroldson Soundbite 1: [4:16-4:36]

“We have connections in Brazil and Brazil is the world’s largest growers in oranges and orange

juice and citrus products so we could actually start to import them when prices are high in the US

and our company could probably do pretty well.”

REPORTER: [4:36-5:06]

This loss has already had a distressing impact on Florida’s economy. An University of Florida

study reports that an estimated 6,611 of the citrus industry’s 75,000 jobs have been lost since

2006. Findings show that the citrus market has lost up to 3.63 billion dollars in revenues.

Florida Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam recently spoke publicly about how this disease

is impacting the state.

Putnam Soundbite 1: [5:06-5:33]

“The citrus industry is facing an existential threat in citrus greening. This matters to every

Floridian because of the profound economic impact it has. You’re talking about a footprint of in

Florida of nearly a half-million acres for which there is really no good plan B. This is a

significant factor for Florida's signature crop.”

REPORTER: [5:33-6:04]

The loss of the state’s citrus industry has an impact on every Floridian, Whether they are a citrus

grower or just someone who enjoys a glass of orange juice.

Florida resident Tye Riter can’t imagine his starting his day without his favorite breakfast

beverage.

Riter Soundbite 1:

“If you are used to having that orange juice every morning going to apple juice or something else

just doesn’t cut it. Part of its taste and part of it is preference. And the other part of it is

tradition.”

REPORTER:

This tradition has been part of Florida’s identity for centuries. Native Floridian, Sue Pell says

citrus is ingrained in her state’s identity.

Pell Soundbite 1:

“Idaho has the famous potatoes, Minnesota is known for cold winters, oranges for Florida is

what people mostly hear.”

REPORTER:

In 2010, the entire state of Florida was put on a citrus quarantine by a new regulation under the

Plant Protection Act. As a consequence, the USDA mandated that live citrus plants and cuttings

couldn’t be taken out of Florida. The ruling has since expanded to areas in twelve other states.

David Englert, President of Country Joe’s Nursery in West Palm Beach says that government

agencies quickly took action when the disease started spreading.

Englert Soundbite 2 [06:06- 06:40]

“It spread fast enough and hard enough that the Florida Department of Agriculture really had to

take a lot of interest in it. They curtailed production on that plant to be grown in structures that

have 100 percent containment and environmental control because they don’t want this bacteria to

spread.”

REPORTER: [6:40-7:09]

Even with a quarantine, the disease has continued to spread. However, Congress recently stepped

in to allocate funding for citrus greening research in the state. In February, the 2014 Farm Bill

granted the National Institute of Food and Agriculture 125 million dollars. For the next five

years, they will be given up to 25 million dollars a year to fight greening disease. The Specialty

Crop Research Initiative set up a subcommittee of state, federal and industry representatives to

allocate the funding. Final decisions will be announced in January.

Tom Bewick, the National Program Leader at NIFA’s Division of Plant Systems is optimistic

that this money will lead to the innovation needed to fight the disease.

Bewick Soundbite 1:

“I was really pleased that we wound up with a portfolio of projects that address pretty much all

the areas of concern for the citrus industry. Some that will have immediate impact for the citrus

industry, some that will have mid-term impact, and some that will have longer term impact.”

REPORTER:

Florida resident and taxpayer Karina DePaula believes that this money will be well spent.

DePaula Soundbite 1: [13]

“We have connections in Brazil and Brazil is the world’s largest growers in oranges and orange

juice and citrus products so we could actually start to import them when prices are high in the US

and our company could probably do pretty well.”

REPORTER: [52]

Right now there is no silver bullet to combat citrus greening. Most research is focused on

keeping plants healthy and productive until a cure is developed. In December 2013, the

Huanglongbing Multi-Agency Coordination Group, commonly refereed to as HLB-MAC, was

established to provide near-term resolutions to the citrus industry. The group received a 20

million dollar grant from the Omnibus Appropriation Act of 2014 and an one-million dollar

subsidy from the USDA.

They immediately expanded biocontrol and set up a demonstration grove through the Direct

Funding Process. The rest of the money will be allotted through the Stakeholder Suggestion

Process. Nearly 60 growers and scientists have submitted proposals aimed at short-term citrus

greening solutions. In November, the HLB-MAC group distributed 8 million dollars to 20

projects. Chosen proposals included vector management, thermotherapy systems, and tolerant

rootstock growth.

Group leader, Dr. Mary Palm explains the why these projects were chosen.

Soundbite 1 Palm: [8:33-9:03]

“We have six criteria that were used to score the different projects. The timeliness of a near term

solution, the utility to the industry, the technical merit, and likelihood of success of the project.

Was it something that can be taken from a smaller level and used commercially, and was the

method adaptable across growing environments or states.”

Ambient sound of spraying pesticides

REPORTER: [9:03-9:42]

Until more sustainable methods become available, holding off symptom development is crucial

for the crops. For the time being, many farmers are trying a simple approach by fertilizing and

over spraying their crops. Instead of spraying two or three times a year, conventional citrus

growers are using these methods monthly.

David Hall, an entomologist and the research leader at the USDA Agricultural Research Service

in Fort Pierce tells us that spraying the trees pose a number of challenges.

Hall Soundbite 1: [9:42-10:00]

“It’s not a sustainable tactic because even if you spray monthly with something that’s really

strong you can’t prevent the disease from getting into young trees. How do you get those

materials into trees? There’s a lot of research into how can you deliver something like that to a

tree. You can’t just spray it on the leaves.”

REPORTER:

Progress on these methods have been much slower than growers were expecting. Claudio

Gonzalez explains that regulating these chemicals for safety doesn’t happen overnight.

Gonzalez Soundbite 1:

“We have to test everything that we have been doing on landscape before we release massive

amounts of chemicals into the environment. We have to also protect the consumers because we

don’t know with these chemicals if they are going to reach the fruit or going to be accumulated

in the fruit.”

[Ambient sound of solar radiation panels]

REPORTER: [10:00-10:50]

At this point, greening research it is not just about finding a cure-all resolution. It is about

incorporating a number of control strategies aiming at the tree infection from many angles. Both

the University of Florida and the USDA have been testing out thermal therapies to slow down

the disease.

Stefanie Leavitt, a graduate research assistant working these trials explains how solar radiation

kills the disease.

Leavitt Sounbite 1:

“All bacteria have a specific temperature range that they can survive and the bacteria that cause

greening is said to die above 42 degrees Celsius. A lot of people use heat to sterilize equipment

and food. It’s the same concept.”

Potted citrus trees were heated between 104-107 degrees for two days. The results showed

reduced levels of citrus greening bacteria for up to two years. In another thermal therapy

approach, trees were encased in heated plastic tents for about a week. Once the tents were

removed, the top 10-12 inches of browned up leaf were trimmed off. New healthy flush started

appearing in just a few weeks. These methods could be the most cost-effective way to slow down

the disease.

Graciela Lorca, a microbiologist at the University of Florida, believes that thermal therapies can

be promising, but recognizes that the method has its shortcomings.

Lorca Soundbite 1: [10:50-11:11]

“The use of thermal therapy was partially effective, but the drawback is that it will make all the

leaves of the plant drop, and stimulate new growth. The new growth is a new leaf where the

psyllids like to go. You may decrease the amount of bacteria temporarily, but is not a permanent

solution.”

[Ambient sounds of the wasps buzzing]

REPORTER: [11:11-11:56]

One of the first projects that the HLB-MAC group has backed through their direct-funding could

be a path towards a long-term relief. Tamarixia radiata is a flea-size parasitic wasp from Pakistan

that attacks Asian citrus psyllids. Although the insects do have stingers, they are too small to

pierce through human skin. The adult wasps eat some young psyllids and lay their eggs in others.

Research has already shown that this bio-control agent can be a vital measure in reducing the

psyllid population.

Eric Rohrig, leader of the USDA Bio-control Release Program understands that these wasps only

mitigate the problem. However, he is hopeful that the expansion will slow down the spread of the

disease.

Rohrig Soundbite 1:

“We currently rear about 2.5 million wasps a year for release. The newly acquired funding will

go to really ramp up our rearing abilities. The parasitism rates that are seen from these wasps

varied grately from 20 percent to 60 percent. For a bio-control aspect that’s not bad, but once

you factor in the insect is a vector of a disease, 60 percent is not good enough. Our goal is to rear

around 7-8 million of these parasitoids per year.”

REPORTER: [12:24-13:13]

None of these methods can’t ward off the citrus greening disease forever. Researchers across the

country have explored every possible avenue. At this point it seems like genetic modification

may be the only viable solution to save Florida’s orange groves from extinction. Since 2007,

Texas A&M plant pathologist Erik Mirkov has been implanting protein genes from spinach,

called definsins, into young citrus plants. This transgenic tree resists bacteria and acts as a

protective shield against citrus greening.

Robert Shatters, a research molecular biologist working in the Subtropical Insect Research Unit

at the USDA, believes that a genetically modified tree will be the ultimate solution.

Shatters Soundbite 1 [13:13-13:28]

“The most stable and long term will be an engineered citrus. Where they go and they genetically

manipulate so that its got defenses. When the bacteria gets in it, the citrus has the ability to fight

that off. We introduce genes that produce proteins that block psyllid feeding.”

REPORTER: [13:28-14:05]

Genetic modification is a widely debated issue. Critics worry these engineered crops carry risks

that haven’t been discovered yet. Many people don’t trust the large agrochemical corporations

like Monsanto that produce genetically modified seeds. The backlash toward transgenic methods

has grown even stronger lately. Organic food advocates and environmentalists have taken a

stance against GMO’s.The public concern they have raised is discouraging the introduction of

the newly developed transgenic technologies.

Kevin Folta, a Molecular and Cellular Biologist University of Florida is bothered by the

propaganda against genetic engineering that he believes activists groups have spread.

Folta Soundbite 1:

“Very few people can tell you exactly what it is but the just know they don’t like it and that’s an

artifact of what has been very successful activist movement that has perished and profited very

much from making good technology sound bad. It’s always very frustrating as a scientist to have

something that can help farmers that and can have benefits in the environment but not be able to

use it.”

REPORTER:

Ana Perez started GMO-Free Florida to spread the message about the potential dangers of

genetically engineered crops. If the greening problem continues, she plans to stop consuming

commercial oranges.

““I’m not anti-science, but I am for responsible science and ethical progress. Not science that’s

proven safe by the very same people that stand to gain by their approval.”

REPORTER:

Ed Stover, Research Horticulturist and Geneticist at the USDA, believes that the public

disapproval is unwarranted. He predicts that people will eventually accept these technologies.

Stover Soundbite 1: [14:05-14:41]

“The extreme level of scrutiny that transgenics undergo before they’re made available for use in

our food supply gives me great confidence. I don’t know if it’s going to be twenty years from

now or fifty years from now but there will come a time when transgenics are not even discussed

because virtually everything that we grow to eat will be transgenic.”

REPORTER: [14:46-15:11]

Public acceptance of genetically modified citrus is only one concern. The Environmental

Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration must

approve the trees before they are deregulated. Developing the trees will cost nearly $20 million

dollars and the process will take up to a decade unless mediating solutions are successful, and in

that case, the orange industry won’t make it that long. Folta worries that this holdup will be

detrimental to the industry.

Folta Soundbite 2:

“Transgenic solutions can't be passed through regulatory bodies any sooner than 2020. There’s

no way to come up what look like very good solutions in a very short time frame.”

REPORTER: [16:00-16:16]

It may take some time, but there is hope that Florida’s citrus industry can recover from this

debilitating disease.

David Steele, the Director of Public Information at the Florida Department of Citrus has faith

that this challenge is just a bump in the road, even when solutions remain in progress.

Steele Soundbite 1: [16:16-16:44]

“Over the decades and even centuries the citrus industry has shown itself to be very resilient.

They overcome other diseases, pests, freezes, hurricane and droughts. In the long run we

certainly expect the Florida citrus industry to survive. We’re gonna see a lot of innovation come

on the floor over the next several years. “

REPORTER:

No one can say for sure what the citrus industry’s future will hold. All we know is that farmers

and scientists will not up on the fight until a cure can be developed. The citrus industry has

come back from many hardships in the past. One way or another they will find a way to

persevere again.