Integrated Disease Management Strategies for Bacterial Citrus Cankers: Insights, Prospects and Future Directions

Citrus canker, caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), remains one of the most destructive bacterial diseases affecting citrus production worldwide, causing significant yield losses, reduced fruit quality, and increased management costs. Although copper-based bactericides remain the primary control measure, their long-term effectiveness is increasingly constrained by the emergence of copper-tolerant pathogen populations, environmental concerns, and regulatory restrictions. This review critically synthesizes current knowledge on the biology, epidemiology, and pathogenicity of Xcc and evaluates the effectiveness, limitations, and field applicability of conventional, biological, and molecular management strategies within an integrated disease management (IDM) framework. Evidence indicates that no single management approach provides durable disease suppression across diverse production systems. Conventional measures such as quarantine, sanitation, windbreaks, and chemical control remain important but are insufficient when implemented in isolation. Biological control agents, bacteriophages, plant-derived antimicrobials, and induced resistance strategies offer environmentally compatible alternatives, although their performance under field conditions remains variable. Advances in molecular breeding, genome editing, anti-virulence approaches, and precision disease surveillance provide promising opportunities for improving disease management but face technical, regulatory, and economic challenges. Major research gaps include limited long-term field validation of biological and molecular technologies, insufficient understanding of citrus microbiome-mediated disease suppression, and inadequate integration of economic and adoption considerations into management programs. Collectively, current evidence supports the adoption of multidisciplinary IDM strategies that integrate cultural, chemical, biological, and genomic approaches to achieve sustainable and resilient citrus canker management under changing agricultural and environmental conditions.