Spraying diseased citrus orchards with antibiotics could backfire

The Journal Nature issued an editorial on cautions for using human antibiotics on citrus groves.  The intent by citrus growers is to stop the new infections that cause HLB (citrus greening disease).  By spraying broad spectrum agents (i.e. streptomycin and oxytetracycline) might do serious harm to humans and to the environment.  While some estimates that 90% of trees are now infected, the article warns that these antibiotics are not a cure, but gives growers a few more years of production as once infected, all infected trees will die.  Trana stands ready to discover a novel solution for these trees infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus.