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Could trees developed with gene-editing technology protect Florida's citrus industry?
NPR • • health
Key Points:
- Florida citrus growers are planting gene-edited trees with CRISPR-modified rootstock, CarriCea T1, designed to resist the deadly citrus greening disease that has devastated the state's citrus industry.
- Citrus greening, spread by the Asian citrus psyllid insect, attacks trees' immune systems, causing bitter fruit and eventual death, with no current cure.
- The Environmental Protection Agency approved the genetic modification earlier this year, and early test fields show promising results with healthier, taller, and greener trees using the CarriCea T1 rootstock.
- The rootstock targets the tree's root system, which is heavily damaged before symptoms appear, potentially reducing reliance on insecticides.
- Despite promising early growth, the true effectiveness of the gene-edited trees will be determined over several years by the quality and taste of the fruit produced.
