Citriculture is an important feature of agriculture in the Near East region. It covers about a million hectares and is in continuous expansion. The crop contributes to the nutrition and refreshment of the people of the region, to agro-industries and to foreign revenue and employment.
Citrus, a native of Southeast Asia' has been introduced gradually into the Near East over the centuries. However, significant expansion in citriculture in the region has only occurred during this century. Until recently, expansion of citriculture was accomplished by the propagation and distribution of material originally introduced via nurseries. within and between countries of the region.
The absence of plant quarantine and sanitation programmes has resulted in the perpetuation of infectious graft-transmissible diseases caused by virus and virus-like agents that accompanied the planting material from its source of origin. This has contributed and still contributes significantly to the low productivity and quality of citrus in the Near East. The situation was recently aggravated by the introduction into Saudi Arabia and Yemen of the devastating citrus greening disease and its vectors, and the discovery of witches' broom disease of lime in Oman and its spread to the United Arab Emirates.
In order to assess the extent of these and other serious disease problems. the Regional Office for the Near East and the Plant Protection Service of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have undertaken a joint programme of consultancies in almost all countries of the region, aiming to assess existing citrus diseases and advise on the production, maintenance and distribution of healthy (pathogen-tested) citrus planting material.
This publication, which reflects the findings of various missions to the Near East and is complemented by the findings of the author during further visits to selected countries in the region, provides a comprehensive picture of the situation of the diseases as found in the citrus orchards, collections and experiment stations surveyed. The text is amply illustrated by photographs taken at identified sites in each country visited.
It is hoped that, in providing baseline information on the status of citrus diseases in the Near East during the last decade as well as ways and means for their diagnosis and exclusion' this publication will stimulate the development of national, subregional and regional programmes on citrus sanitation.
Such programmes should be aimed at eliminating or containing existing diseases and improving production, maintenance and distribution of healthy (pathogen-tested) planting material. This will contribute towards the high quality and productivity of citrus in the region, and will help to minimize the threat posed by devastating citrus diseases that are not yet present or that are of limited distribution.
Mahmoud M. Taher
FAO Regional Plant Protection Officer for the Near East