Damaging citrus plant disease confirmed in Texas

[January 19, 2012]  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- State agriculture officials say a destructive citrus plant disease that has wiped out crops in Florida has been confirmed in Texas.

The Texas Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced that a section of Hidalgo County has been placed under temporary quarantine. That came after the agency confirmed citrus greening on tree in a commercial grove in San Juan.

Texas is the nation's second-leading state in grapefruit production and ranks third in producing oranges.

Agriculture officials say citrus greening poses no threat to human health and only affects the tree, and not the fruit. The bacterial disease attacks a plant's vascular system and can cause a tree to die within a few years.

Agriculture officials say they're surveying the region to identify how far the disease may have spread.

[Associated Press]

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