The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has deregulated a genetically engineered citrus rootstock developed by Soil Culture Solutions that is resistant to Huanglongbing, commonly known as citrus greening disease. The rootstock, called CarriCea Carrizo, was developed specifically to combat HLB, which has devastated Florida's citrus industry over the past two decades.
HLB has no cure and has been the single biggest driver of Florida's citrus collapse — the state's orange production has fallen by roughly 90% from peak levels. A rootstock with built-in disease resistance could be a meaningful tool for growers trying to rebuild, though it will take years before any replanted trees reach commercial production.
This is a regulatory milestone worth watching. Whether growers adopt the technology at scale and how it performs in the field will determine whether it becomes a real recovery story for Florida citrus.