A review of techniques for detecting Huanglongbing (greening) in citrus.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most destructive disease of citrus worldwide. Monitoring of health and detection of diseases in trees is critical for sustainable agriculture. HLB symptoms are virtually the same wherever the disease occurs. The disease is caused by Candidatus Liberibacter spp., vectored by the psyllids Diaphorina citri Kuwayama and Trioza erytreae. Electron microscopy was the first technique used for HLB detection. Nowadays, scientists are working on the development of new techniques for a rapid HLB detection, as there is no sensor commercially accessible for real-time assessment of health conditions in trees. Currently, the most widely used mechanism for monitoring HLB is exploration, which is an expensive, labor-intensive, and time-consuming process. Molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction are used for the identification of HLB disease, which requires detailed sampling and processing procedures. Furthermore, investigations are ongoing in spectroscopic and imaging techniques, pr...