Groundbreaking Innovations: Silvec and Invaio's New Solutions for Citrus Huanglongbing Set to Launch

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, a devastating disease, poses a serious threat to the global citrus industry, having spread to nearly 50 countries across Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. The states of Florida in the United States and the state of São Paulo in Brazil are particularly severely affected.

In 2023, the incidence rate of citrus Huanglongbing in Brazil reached 38.06%, up from 24.42% the previous year. and the cost of plant protection to control the spread of citrus Huanglongbing has increased significantly. This is mainly due to a 42% surge in the sales of insecticides used for the control of the citrus psyllid vector, reaching $236 million, which covers 98% of the planting area in Brazil's citrus producing regions (data source: Kynetec). Since the first detection of citrus Huanglongbing in Florida in 2005, by 2023, the citrus production had declined by 80% compared to the peak before the disease, nearly collapsing the industry.

Emergency Authorization for New and Existing Pesticide Ingredients

As the severe situation of citrus Huanglongbing continues and the market offers a limited selection of plant protection and control pesticides, numerous countries have urgently authorized the use of both new and existing chemical ingredients. Here are some specific instances:

• The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) recently conducted an urgent assessment of Bayer's new pesticide ingredient Spidoxamat (trade name: Plenexos), highlighting the gravity of citrus Huanglongbing and the urgency of implementing new control measures, especially the need for introducing novel and effective ingredients.

• In June 2021, Portugal urgently authorized the insecticide Teppeki (flonicamid) for the control of the African citrus psyllid to expand phytosanitary protection measures and prevent the entry and spread of HLB pathogens.

• The United States re-approved the banned ingredient Aldicarb (trade name: Temik^®) for the control of citrus Huanglongbing in 2021.

These emergency authorizations reflect the serious threat that citrus Huanglongbing poses to the global citrus industry and demonstrate the urgency with which countries are seeking and adopting new control strategies.

Multinationals launch Psyllid-Targeted Products for HLB

According to incomplete statistics from AgroPages, in the past two years, multinational companies such as Syngenta, Adama, and Sipcam Nichino have all introduced specialized control products aimed at the citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), the vector of citrus Huanglongbing.

Syngenta launched its broad-spectrum foliar insecticide Minecto^® Pro at the Expocitros 2023, the largest citrus expo in Latin America, in June 2024. This product contains two active ingredients, cyantraniliprole and abamectin, which not only effectively control the Asian citrus psyllid but also help manage pest resistance. Additionally, its flexible application method can adapt to the needs of different citrus growing regions. Following the launch of Seizer (bifenthrin) in 2023, Adama registered the insecticide Trivor (acetamiprid + pyriproxyfen) for use on citrus in 2024. This product aims to rotate active ingredients to extend the product's lifespan. The combination of ingredients in Trivor provides a stronger impact, prolongs residual effects, and effectively controls psyllids at all developmental stages, from eggs to adults, thereby disrupting the pest lifecycle. FMC introduced the insecticide Premio Star (chlorantraniliprole + bifenthrin) in 2023, which can simultaneously control major citrus pests such as the citrus psyllid and the citrus fruit borer (Ecdytolopha aurantiana). In December 2023, Brazil's Sipcam Nichino launched two new insecticides, Fiera (buprofezin) and Fujimite (fenpyroximate), with Fiera exhibiting growth-regulating effects on insects by acting upon contact with psyllid nymphs.

Recent chemical pesticides for Citrus Huanglongbing on a global scale

 (incomplete statistics)

In addition to the chemical control agents mentioned above, there are also new biopesticide products specifically targeting the Asian citrus psyllid that have been launched. For example, the Brazilian biotechnology company Vittia introduced a new bioinsecticide IZATURBO, it was formulated from the exclusive strain, BV14, of the entomopathogenic fungus, 𝐼𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎 𝑗𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎 (𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑦𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑠 𝑗𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎); Brazil Oxiquímica Agrociência also launched a plant-derived insecticide MIRA, which contains a mixture of plant active ingredients with therapeutic effects, effective in combating the citrus psyllid.

From an overall perspective of the global market for control products launched in the past two years, there are still relatively few control products available for citrus Huanglongbing, and most are old varieties of pesticides. From the perspective of plant quarantine, the appropriate strategy for citrus growers to control citrus Huanglongbing is still mainly to rotate different active ingredients of pesticides and supplement with optimized cultivation management measures.

Traditional Products with New Buffs, New Paths for Resistance Management

In the field of citrus Huanglongbing control, traditional pesticide products are being combined with emerging technologies such as nanotechnology and gel technology, providing new solutions for the control of citrus Huanglongbing and new ideas for pest resistance management.

Brazil's Embrapa, in collaboration with the Chemistry Institute of the University of Campinas (Unicamp), has developed a new type of nano-insecticide that achieves controlled release of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam molecules through nanotechnology, showing excellent performance in controlling the vector of Huanglongbing, with only half the dose required for traditional products, with higher application efficiency and lower environmental toxicity. The new product not only improves the efficiency of insect killing, reduces the number of applications, slows down the development of pest resistance, but also reduces environmental impact and related costs. The nano-encapsulation technology allows the active ingredients of the insecticide to be released in a controlled manner, preventing premature degradation, and improving the efficiency and sustainability of traditional insecticides.

The Plant Protection Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences has developed a cycloxaprid water-based gel product based on the domestically developed neonicotinoid insecticide, which has excellent UV degradation resistance and rainwater wash resistance, and significantly improves the penetration and stability of the agent on citrus leaves and in the midgut of insects. Field trials have shown that the cycloxaprid water-based gel is more than 20% more effective in controlling nymphs and adults of Asian citrus psyllids compared to the wettable powder of cycloxaprid at the same dosage.

New Technologies, New Breakthroughs: Activating Innate Immunity as a New Direction for Control

Citrus Huanglongbing, for which there is currently no effective cure or product, can only be controlled by eliminating the main vector of the disease, the citrus psyllid. In recent years, a new control strategy that activates the plant's own innate immune response has become a new direction for the control of citrus Huanglongbing.

Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Crop Improvement and Genetics Research (CIGR) have discovered a method to enhance trees' natural resistance to pathogens, including citrus Huanglongbing, by integrating receptors that recognize pathogens to activate the plant's own innate immune response. Researchers have used Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer technology to introduce DNA fragments from plants with natural resistance into citrus trees to enhance their resistance to HLB. CIGR geneticist James Thomson said that this groundbreaking technology is expected to revolutionize the citrus industry in the next few years.

Purdue University's Professor Kurt Ristroph, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, has developed a new nano-carrier technology aimed at helping plants resist citrus Huanglongbing. Ristroph and his team have used the same mixing technology as pharmaceutical companies to manufacture nano-carriers that can deliver antibiotics directly to the plant's phloem and roots and release the drugs, hoping to solve the problem that traditional methods find it difficult to accurately locate and kill HLB bacteria hiding in the tree's phloem.

In this field, the innovative achievements of the following two agricultural technology companies have already shown promising results：

Invaio's Trecise™ Technology Solution Registered in the US, Cooperating with Louis Dreyfus to Promote to the Brazilian Citrus Market

In August 2023, Invaio Sciences, a US developer of agricultural natural solutions, launched a solution in Florida aimed at suppressing citrus Huanglongbing. Its pioneering Trecise™ technology, unlike traditional methods, uses a minimally invasive approach to directly deliver active ingredients into the vascular system of citrus trees. This advanced drug delivery system can significantly reduce the use of chemicals by up to 90%. Simultaneously, its enclosed application system also greatly reduces potential risks to workers and the environment. According to trial verification by Invaio Sciences, the average yield of citrus trees can be increased by 30% after using Trecise™ technology. The company is committed to minimizing the impact of citrus Huanglongbing throughout the entire growth cycle of fruit trees, from seedling to fruiting.

In January 2024, Invaio Sciences announced a three-year cooperation agreement with the leading global agricultural trader Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC). This collaboration will combine Invaio Sciences' Trecise™ technology and LDC's expertise in citrus cultivation to enhance the sustainability of Brazilian citrus farms and jointly address the significant challenges the industry faces with citrus Huanglongbing.

Silvec Biologics' RNA Vector Product Specifically Developed for HLB, Submitted for Scientific Review by EPA

Silvec Biologics, in collaboration with Southern Gardens Citrus, the University of Florida, and Texas A& M AgriLife Research, has developed a groundbreaking innovative RNA vector product to combat citrus Huanglongbing. The product utilizes a mild, non-transmissible virus that has been reprogrammed to express a natural antimicrobial peptide from spinach, significantly reducing yield losses caused by citrus Huanglongbing without altering the genetics of the citrus trees or fruits.

The product's main advantages lie in its cost-effectiveness and significant efficacy. Field trials conducted in Florida have demonstrated its lasting control effects, and it has entered the full scientific review phase of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Pesticide Regulatory Improvement Act (PRIA) registration process. Silvec Biologics looks forward to commercializing this product after obtaining all regulatory approvals to mitigate the impact of citrus greening on the global citrus industry.

In summary, in the face of the global challenge of citrus Huanglongbing, innovative products from research and development companies such as Invaio Sciences and Silvec Biologics have not only made technological breakthroughs but also shown significant effects in practical applications. With the commercialization and widespread application of these technologies and products in the future, it is hoped that this devastating disease can be effectively controlled and even cured, ensuring the healthy development of the citrus industry.

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