Status of huanglongbing in Malaysia and the rehabilitation of infected orchards

Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most devastating disease of citrus in Malaysia. It occurs in Peninsular Malaysia and the eastern states of Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo. Its epidemiology was largely assisted through the wide use of infected air- layered planting material by citrus growers. Due to the ignorance of growers and the limited expensive laboratory tests being carried out, field detection was slow. Consequently the spread of the disease was not arrested. To combat HLB, both the Federal and State Governments, through the Department of Agriculture, have drawn out preventive and control measures, create awareness of the disease and work together with growers to monitor and rehabilitate affected orchards. The latest efforts were the introduction of the rapid iodine kit for field tests and the trial use of antibiotics via trunk injection. With the recent creation of awareness amongst growers, preventive and control measures, through the use of HLB-free planting materials and the roguing of infected trees, were carried out. This paper describes the status of this disease in Malaysia and the progress on efforts taken to rehabilitate the infected orchards.