Enhancing Fruit Tree Crops Health Using Probiotic Targeted Delivery System

Citrus canker is a destructive disease of citrus caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, which produces raised corky lesions on leaves, stems, and fruit that reduce yield and fruit quality. Current management relies largely on copper bactericides, but repeated use can lead to environmental accumulation and copper-tolerant strains. The yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans, which naturally colonizes plant surfaces, has been successfully used in apple orchards to control fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora through competitive exclusion on blossoms. Applying A. pullulans to citrus foliage may similarly suppress X. citri colonization, offering a promising biological control strategy to complement existing citrus canker management practices.