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What is CITRUSBUSTERS? Your needs, our objectives

17th June, 2025

Europe’s citrus sector is facing an unusual storm: devastating diseases like Citrus Black Spot (CBS) and Citrus Greening (Huanglongbing, HLB), and an urgent need to move away from chemical pesticides. These challenges threaten not only production and biodiversity, but also farmers’ livelihoods and the stability of rural economies. 

CITRUSBUSTERS was launched to respond to this crisis: we aim to safeguard citrus production across Europe by developing innovative, sustainable, and scalable tools for early detection, biocontrol, and plant resilience. 

What we aim to achieve 

At its core, CITRUSBUSTERS focuses on four key activities: 

  1. Preventing outbreaks through smarter detection. 
    The project is developing an integrated surveillance system that combines AI-powered models, remote sensing (hyperspectral and LiDAR), and field data to detect and map disease risks before they spread. 
     
  1. Breeding stronger, more resilient citrus plants. 
    Using DNA-free gene editing and plant biostimulants, the project aims to create varieties that can better resist citrus greening and black spot, without relying on transgenic techniques. 
     
  1. Fighting pests and pathogens with nature-based tools. 
    CITRUSBUSTERS supports the development and validation of biotechnological biopesticides – including dsRNA to target insect vectors, endolysins against Candidatus Liberibacter, and bioactive formulations against Phyllosticta citricarpa. 
     
  1. Validating and co-creating Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. 
    Field trials across Europe and Brazil ensure that the tools developed are tested, adaptable, and co-created with growers to support both conventional and organic citrus farms. 
     

 
CITRUSBUSTERS delivers ready-to-use results 

These are the new tools we want to develop to protect citrus production together: 

  • Digital surveillance toolbox 
  • Validated IPM guidelines 
  • DNA-free breeding protocols and biopesticide formulations 
  • Soil health strategies 
  • Impact assessment and sustainability of the results reports (LCA, SoLCA, CBA) 
  • 35 practice abstracts and a final exploitation toolkit 
     

Our mission 

If you are a grower, a researcher, or a policy advisor, your needs are central to what we do. Every outcome is designed with scalability, safety, and sustainability in mind. 

Let’s turn science into real solutions, together.