Barking Up The Right Tree

Citrus Industry Enlists Help of Dogs Trained to Detect Greening.

- Julie Gmitter

ANYONE WITH A four-legged friend of the canine kind knows that it’s nearly impossible to hide anything from a dog’s sense of smell.

In fact, their olfactory senses are approximately 1,000 times stronger than those of a human. With the proper training, our canine friends are able to detect everything from bombs to drugs to illnesses such as cancer. But their illness detection skills are not limited to humans; canines are also capable of being trained to detect the presence of agricultural diseases, including the most destructive one that has been causing declines in Florida’s Citrus industry for more than 15 years: HLB (Huanglongbing) or citrus greening.

HLB has caused an estimated 75% decline in citrus production in Florida since its emergence.