This project aimed to provide the facts on which to base a sound strategy, focusing on the pathogen itself (proteobacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus), the insect vector Diaphorina citri (the citrus psylla) and the interactions between the two. In Vietnam the French agency CIRAD focused on the pathogen and ACIAR supported the entomology and pathogen-vector relationships.
In Indonesia ACIAR-funded scientists surveyed the distribution of the vector and its natural enemies, compared the natural enemy spectrum in Indonesia with that known from Vietnam, and identified potential natural enemies for a bio-control program. They also tested the possible role of petroleum spray oils in vector control.