Ariel Singerman and Pilar Useche
University of Florida
Citrus greening is jeopardizing the Florida citrus industry. A line of research some expect to be the ultimate solution to the disease is developing trees that are resistant to it by using genetic modification. Little, though, is known regarding the willingness of US citrus growers to adopt GM technology, their concerns surrounding its adoption, or even the degree to which the disease has impacted them. Thus, we present growers’ surveybased estimates of the significant impact of citrus greening on citrus operations in Florida as well as growers’ self-assessed level of information, potential concerns, and impressions regarding potential adoption of GM technology as a way to deal with the disease. We also examine growers’ preferences on desirable attributes of a Huanglongbing-resistant tree. The most significant heterogeneity in producers’ concerns and trait preferences lies in the areas of environment, safety, and gene origin.
Key words: Adoption, citrus greening, genetically modified trees.