Examining Huanglongbing Disease in Citrus Plantations: A Study in North Al-Batinah Governorate, Sultanate of Oman

Huanglongbing (HLB), commonly known as citrus greening disease, is among the most severe diseases affecting the Citrus genus. It is caused by three species of the Candidatus Liberibacter bacterium: Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), Candidatus Liberibacter africanus (Laf), and Candidatus Liberibacter americanus (Lam). This study aimed to investigate the presence of HLB in various citrus varieties exhibiting suspected symptoms within the citrus gene bank in Suhar, Oman. Samples were collected and subjected to PCR amplification using two primer sets, CN265/CN266 and OI1/OI2c, followed by restriction enzyme analysis with Xbal endonuclease to differentiate between Las and Laf species. Results confirmed the presence of the Las species in Clementine, Grapefruit, Lime, and orange varieties.