Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Achieves Milestone with First-Ever National Certified Reference Materials for Citrus Huanglongbing, Filling International and Domestic Gaps

The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Institute of Quality Standards has achieved a significant milestone by developing a set of national certified reference materials for the Huanglongbing pathogen in citrus.

Disease cycle of citrus HLB.

Credit: researchgate

In a recent breakthrough, the Institute of Agricultural Quality Standards and Testing Technology, a branch of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, successfully created four nucleic acid molecular diagnostic reference materials for the citrus Huanglongbing pathogen. These materials include the Asian species' 16S rDNA gene plasmid DNA standard (GBW09321, GBW09322) and the American species' 16S rDNA gene plasmid DNA standard (GBW09319, GBW09320). Notably, these materials have secured the coveted national first-class reference material certificate, marking a pioneering moment in the field of plant quarantine as the first-ever national certified reference materials.

Citrus greening disease, caused by Phloem Bacillus infection, is a severe ailment affecting citrus crops and is often referred to as the "cancer" of citrus. It has garnered global attention and stands as a critical concern in China's agricultural biosecurity and the supervision of agricultural product quality and safety. Effective testing for this disease is imperative, but until now, there were no certified reference materials available domestically or internationally.

The approved reference materials were meticulously developed using the project team's proprietary intellectual property technology (ZL 2022109533345). The process involved cloning the specific 16S rDNA sequence of the citrus Huanglongbing pathogen, which was then combined with processed citrus genomic DNA. The digital PCR method was employed to determine the value, a process validated by nine laboratories. The joint value determination ultimately traced back to the natural unit "1," receiving unanimous recognition from the technical review expert group for its preparation and development.

Symptoms-associated-with-Huanglongbing-citrus-greening-disease-in-different-citrus

Credit:researchgate

This groundbreaking series of certified reference materials addresses a significant void in international and domestic standards for citrus Huanglongbing. Its creation establishes a solid foundation for reliable measurement in citrus testing, ensuring quality control, data accuracy, and value traceability. Importantly, these materials play a pivotal role in supporting the quality and safety supervision and prevention of citrus agricultural products, contributing significantly to the advancement of agricultural sciences.