UWM Biological Sciences Professor Ching-Hong Yang has secured a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The award supports his research on a novel compound aimed at suppressing disease in citrus crops, specifically targeting Huanglongbing (HLB), commonly known as "citrus greening." This bacterial infection poses a threat to citrus plants globally.
Yang's project, titled "Bringing RejuAgro to Market: Development of a Groundbreaking Trunk Injection Biopesticide for Huanglongbing (HLB)," focuses on the compound RejuAgro A (RAA). The compound has shown promising results against the disease, which can devastate large areas of citrus crops if not managed.
In 2023, Yang received $2.4 million in NIFA USDA grants for developing organic strategies to manage apple fire blight and citrus HLB. This brings his total federal research funding to over $3.9 million. Yang stated, "This funding from NIFA represents a critical step forward in translating our laboratory discoveries into real-world agricultural solutions."
The project emphasizes accelerating the development and commercialization of RejuAgro A. Yang aims to offer growers an effective tool for plant health and agricultural resilience. "With this support, we can accelerate the development and commercialization of RejuAgro A—a sustainable, natural compound that has the potential to protect citrus crops globally from the devastating effects of Huanglongbing," Yang added.
Source: UWM
