The American rose is being threatened by a disease called rose rosette, and researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are racing to find a cure.
The disease, a virus spread by a mite (phyllocoptes fructiphilus), is decimating the rose industry in other states. It was first detected in Florida in December 2013, said Mathews Paret, assistant professor of plant pathology at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center.
“Rose rosette is a devastating disease and one of the worst things to come along,” said Gary Knox, professor of environmental horticulture and Extension specialist in nursery crops. “So, we have formed a multistate comprehensive project to find a cure.”
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