# Spinach peptide-based treatment for citrus greening receives EPA registration

> USDA’s NIFA reported unconditional EPA registration for a citrus-greening treatment developed from Texas A&M research.

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- Section: Agriculture
- Country: United States
- Published: 2026-10-15T16:53:09+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-15T16:53:09+00:00
- Source review period: 2026-10-13
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*The source does not state the event date; the period shown is the source review period.*

A report by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, republished by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, says the EPA granted unconditional registration to a spinach-defensin-based product for citrus greening. Researchers found that antimicrobial peptides from spinach can protect trees against Huanglongbing, the disease also known as citrus greening.

The product uses a naturally non-transmissible strain of citrus tristeza virus to prompt trees to produce the defensin peptide. Registration permits commercial sale in the United States. The source describes years of research and field trials but does not claim the treatment eradicates the disease.

## Data

### EPA registration reported

The EPA granted unconditional registration for commercial sale in the United States to the spinach-defensin treatment described in the research.

Methodology: The source-reported event and status are presented qualitatively; no numerical estimate or independent measurement is added. The date is the USDA report publication day; the source does not specify the exact EPA registration day.

| date | label | description | status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-13 | EPA registration reported | The EPA granted unconditional registration for commercial sale in the United States to the spinach-defensin treatment described in the research. | occurred |

Sources: <https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/spinach-peptide-discovery-leads-citrus-greening-treatment> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/texas-spinach-defensin-citrus-greening-treatment-epa-registration-2026/data/source-event?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/texas-spinach-defensin-citrus-greening-treatment-epa-registration-2026/data/source-event?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (reprinted from Texas A&M AgriLife Research)](<https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/spinach-peptide-discovery-leads-citrus-greening-treatment>) (Source checked: 2026-10-15; Published: 2026-10-13)

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