New HLB-Resistant Citrus Trees to Head to Florida Groves
For citrus growers across the Southeast, the fight against citrus greening is one that continues to shape the future of the industry. Now, new research out of Florida is putting another tool into that fight.
The University of Florida says the EPA has approved CarriCea T1, a new HLB-resistant citrus rootstock based on discoveries from UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center.
The rootstock was developed by Florida-based Soilcea, using research from the lab of UF scientist Nian Wang. It’s designed to restore a citrus tree’s natural ability to defend itself against HLB, or citrus greening.
And there’s already plenty of interest. Soilcea says Florida growers have ordered more than 300,000 CarriCea T1 trees.
Florida offers a stark picture of what’s at stake. Since HLB was first detected there in 2005, UF says citrus production has fallen from 292 million boxes to just 12 million.
One other notable piece: USDA considers fruit produced using the new rootstock to be non-bioengineered.
For more, visit https://news.ufl.edu/2026/08/hlb-resistant-citrus-rootstock/
