UF/IFAS researchers share research on oxytetracycline efficacy due to degradation due to field conditions.
A UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article maintains that “it has been proven that injections of oxytetracycline (OTC) can help to alleviate symptoms caused by huanglongbing (HLB) disease.” Many UF/IFAS research studies have shown that OTC is beneficial to citrus in combating citrus greening, also known as HLB. Some growers have expressed dissatisfaction with OTC injections, and degradation of the OTC product may be to blame in some cases. The article shared details of research on oxytetracycline efficacy and degradation. See the details below.
Details on Research on Oxytetracycline Efficacy
According to the article, “OTC is a bacteriostatic compound that inhibits bacterial growth and replication. Like many antibiotics, OTC is sensitive to degradation.” Issues that can cause degradation include:
- high temperatures
- intense UV radiation
The article shares that “degradation can be observed in the color change of the solution from bright yellow to dark brown.”
The article shared research on oxytetracycline efficacy, showing how quickly OTC can degrade in the field:
“In July 2023, trees were injected with water, fresh OTC and OTC that had been exposed for six, 24 or 48 hours. HLB management was evaluated monthly based on Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) titer quantification and visual disease ratings.
Four months post-injection in 2023, the freshly prepared OTC was the only treatment with a significant reduction in CLas titer compared to the water-injected control. This means that even as little as six hours of exposure did not provide sufficient HLB control in this grove.”
The article advised that the researchers recommend “Commercial recommendations are to mix and use OTC within 48 hours, but it is clear that this does not take into account exposure to field conditions. Based on our current research, it is vital that growers inject oxytetracycline that is as fresh as possible to ensure maximum efficacy.”
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