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University of Florida

EPA approves HLB-resistant citrus rootstock based on UF research


  • EPA approval clears the way for Florida company Soilcea to supply more than 300,000 citrus trees using CarriCea T1, an HLB-resistant rootstock based on University of Florida research.
  • CarriCea T1 could give citrus growers a new tool in the fight against Huanglongbing, (HLB), or citrus greening, which has devastated Florida’s citrus industry since it was first detected in 2005.
  • The approval marks a milestone in translating UF research into a commercial solution for growers seeking ways to protect citrus trees and rebuild an industry that has lost 95% of its production.

Florida company Soilcea is preparing to supply more than 300,000 citrus trees based on University of Florida technology after U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval of CarriCea T1, a new Huanglongbing (HLB)-resistant rootstock that could help growers combat citrus greening.

Since HLB, known as citrus greening, was first detected in Florida in 2005, the disease has slashed the state's citrus industry by 95%, reducing production from 292 million boxes to just 12 million, destroying more than 50 million trees, eliminating 47,000 jobs and resulting in about $76.5 billion in lost economic impact.

The EPA approval marks a significant milestone in delivering research-driven solutions to growers who have spent years searching for effective ways to combat the disease.

“This approval marks a critical advancement for growers facing HLB,” said Yianni Lagos, president and CEO of Soilcea. “CarriCea T1 works with the plant's own biology to naturally protect against HLB and provide a more promising path forward for American citrus production.”

CarriCea T1 was developed by Soilcea, a CRISPR-focused agricultural research company headquartered at the USF Connect research park in Tampa, using discoveries from Nian Wang, Ph.D.'s, laboratory at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center. Wang is the Mr. and Mrs. J.R. (Rip) Graves Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Biotechnology at UF/IFAS.

The technology was exclusively licensed through UF Innovate, the university's technology commercialization office and supported by funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“This breakthrough exemplifies the world-class agricultural research and innovation taking place at UF/IFAS, our increasing focus on using biotech tools to accelerate solutions for growers, and our enhanced efforts to commercialize innovations,” said J. Scott Angle, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and head of UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

The approval also represents nearly a decade of collaboration between university researchers, technology transfer professionals and entrepreneurs to move an academic discovery from the laboratory to the marketplace.

“The license to Soilcea has been a model for collaboration with a startup company,” said John Byatt, retired associate director of UF Innovate | Tech Licensing, who handled the technology. “The path from discovery to license to product to market has taken nine years, but during that time, Soilcea has continuously communicated its progress with Dr. Wang and with UF Innovate. I look forward to seeing this work help turn around the fortunes of Florida's citrus industry.”

Because CarriCea T1 is designed to restore the tree's natural ability to defend against HLB, growers now have access to a new rootstock option that could help sustain citrus production for future generations. The resulting fruit is considered non-bioengineered by the USDA.

The industry's response has been strong. Soilcea reports that more than 300,000 CarriCea T1 trees have already been ordered by growers across Florida.

“CarriCea T1 offers growers a realistic path forward and a fighting chance to preserve our groves, our livelihoods, and an industry that is central to Florida's identity,” said Morgan McKenna Porter, operations manager at McKenna Brothers, Inc.

Robin Bryant, executive director of the Florida Citrus Processors Association, added: “This rootstock will provide much-needed relief to the citrus industry in its battle against HLB.”