Disease threatens Florida citrus groves

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 14 (UPI) -- An insect-borne disease has spread through Florida's citrus groves and threatens to wreak havoc on the $9-billion-a-year industry, officials said.

Growers say the disease, called "citrus greening," attacks and kills trees like a "canker on steroids," and causes oranges and other fruit to taste bitter and salty. It was first discovered in South Florida in 2005 and has since spread rapidly.

The disease has now been detected in all 32 citrus-producing counties in Florida and threatens the state's 554,000 acres of groves, the Orlando Sentinel reported Monday.

"We estimate that every citrus tree in commercial groves in the state is within a maximum of 1 mile of the disease," Bob Norberg of the state Department of Citrus said.

Small jumping insects called Asian citrus psyllids generally transmit the infection by carrying the disease from tree to tree.

Florida growers dealing with freezes, hurricanes and competition from foreign growers say the incurable disease is a particularly serious threat to the industry.

"There's a lot of concern out there, because unchecked, this could run roughshod over the industry," Andrew Meadows of Florida Citrus Mutual said.