Carbohydrate and nutritional responses to stem girdling and drought stress with respect to understanding symptoms of Huanglongbing (HLB) in Citrus

The most important worldwide problem in citrus production is the bacterial disease Huanglongbing (HLB; citrus greening) caused by phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. The earliest visible symptoms of HLB on leaves are vein yellowing and an asymmetrical chlorosis referred to as “blotchy mottle”, thought to be the result of starch accumulation. We tested the hypothesis that such visible symptoms are not unique to HLB by stem girdling 2-yr-old seedlings of two citrus rootstocks with and without drought stress in the greenhouse. After 31 d, girdling had little effect on shoot growth but girdling increased the relative growth rate of shoots in drought stressed trees. Starc…