ASIAN CITRUS PSYLLID (DIAPHORINA CITRI KUWAYAMA) REARING FOR TRANSMISSION OF CANDIDATUS LIBERIBACTER ASIATICUS IN CITRUS FOR THE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES OF HUANGLONGBING.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is causing destruction in citrus all over the world. Control of this disease is mendatory to save the citrus industry. Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the natural vector of HLB causing bacterium is present in abundance in citrus orchards of Punjab, pakistan. Rearing of ACP was conducted in this study for the management strategies of HLB. Citrus orchards of Faisalabad district of Punjab, Pakistan were surveyed for HLB diagnosis and acquisition of ACP from HLB positive citrus trees for ACP rearing in controlled conditions of growth room. ACP was successfully reared at 26±2 °C temperature and photoperiod of 13:11 (Light : Dark) and Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus was detected by conventional PCR in the plants used for ACP rearing. PCR results confirmed the presence of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus with discrete bands having amplicon size of 1160bp, 800bp and 700bp for primer pairs OI1/OI2c, OI2/23S1 and A2/J5, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]