The EPA has approved CarriCea T1, calling it a “breakthrough citrus rootstock” that helps trees defend themselves against citrus greening disease — the bacterial infection that has destroyed more than 90% of Florida’s citrus production over the past two decades.
EPA says the approval gives American growers a powerful new tool that fights disease at the source while reducing the need for conventional pesticide sprays.
“A secure, abundant food supply keeps Americans healthy and fuels economic growth, which is why we’re using gold-standard science to put safe, innovative tools in the hands of our farmers,” says EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “CarriCea T1 helps protect American citrus, supports a nutritious food supply and lets growers rely less on conventional pesticide applications. That’s a win for farmers and a win for American families.”
Florida’s citrus industry, the center of America’s orange juice supply, continues to face extraordinary pressure. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports final 2024–25 production totaled 12.15 million boxes of oranges, 1.3 million boxes of grapefruit and 400,000 boxes of tangerines and tangelos — the smallest Florida harvest on record since the 1919–20 season. At the industry’s 2003–04 peak, Florida growers produced nearly 292 million boxes of citrus. Today’s harvest is less than 5% of that total.
Without effective new tools, citrus greening threatens to end commercial citrus production in the U.S., forcing Americans to depend on foreign growers, says the EPA.
CarriCea T1 works by making precise edits to the citrus tree’s own existing genes — not by introducing DNA from other organisms. These edits disrupt the interaction between the citrus plant and the bacteria that cause greening, helping the tree limit infection on its own.
Because the tree itself is better equipped to resist the disease, growers using CarriCea T1 rootstock can rely less on conventional chemical sprays to manage citrus greening. Fewer sprays mean less pesticide applied to the orchard, less handled by farmworkers and a safer path forward for American citrus.
EPA says it conducted a dietary safety assessment under its existing regulatory framework for plant-incorporated protectants to ensure the registration decision is protective. This includes residues from both the pesticide being registered as well as any breakdown products. The fruit produced from CarriCea T1 rootstock will be indistinguishable from those using other rootstock varieties, it says.
EPA says it recognizes Americans care deeply about how their food is grown and want clear information about the tools used in agriculture. Consumers who prefer alternatives will continue to find a wide range of choices in the marketplace, including organic citrus.
This approval gives growers another tool to manage a serious crop disease while supporting efforts to reduce losses and maintain productive citrus acreage, says the agency.
Farmers need a range of approaches to manage pests and plant diseases, including integrated strategies that protect yields while reducing unnecessary conventional pesticide use, says EPA. CarriCea T1 gives growers a new line of defense that works with the plant’s own biology rather than relying on chemicals alone.
When a crop is modified for pesticidal purposes, the modification is called a plant-incorporated protectant, or PIP. Some PIPs introduce new genes from other organisms, but CarriCea T1 takes a different approach, editing existing citrus genes to strengthen the plant’s own defenses. EPA evaluates every PIP against rigorous standards for human health, environmental protection and long-term agricultural sustainability.
EPA says it will continue working with growers, researchers and stakeholders to ensure crop protection tools are used responsibly and evaluated with full attention to safety and the long-term resilience of American farms.
