The population of the psyllid insect transmitter greening, is high in all regions of São Paulo citrus belt, Triangle / South West Mining. Through more than 30,000 traps around the park, Fundecitrus monitors the fluctuation of insect and found growth of 204% in July and 337% in August compared to the same months last year, the highest rate recorded for the period from the start of the series in 2014.
The second half is traditionally the period of the psyllid population peaks and when about 65% of the insects are captured. This is the combination of favorable climatic conditions: the rains stimulates the emergence of shoots that attract psyllids for feeding and breeding for being softer tissues. In addition, the high temperatures observed at this time of year also favor insect development and dry weather associated with the wind helps in their dispersal.
According to the researcher Fundecitrus Marcelo Miranda, changes in climate behavior in 2020 anticipated the high population of psyllids. “The population peaks usually occur in August, September and October, but we are watching high insect population since June because the month had rainfall well above the recorded average in June 2019 [+ 155%] and high temperatures, which caused the anticipation of the shoots, “he explains.
The recommendation is that growers be alert to the emergence of shoots so that, in those moments, intensify control of the psyllid, regardless of time of year, adapting where necessary, the pre-set calendar applications to these critical periods.
“It is essential to maintain strict control for orchards protection even during the pandemic to prevent the insects from contaminating new plants, which could result in an increase in the greening next year,” says agronomist Fundecitrus Ivaldo room.
According to a survey Fundecitrus, the greening reaches 20.87% of the orange citrus belt. The disease is considered the most destructive in world citrus production and has no cure, but since it was identified in Brazil 16 years ago, the management has been improved and a lot of information and mechanisms are available to increase the effectiveness of control.
One such mechanism is the Phytosanitary Fundecitrus Alert, which comprises the traps that monitor the presence of the psyllid. The tool, free, identifies the population of insects increase and also the presence of shoots and alerts to producers to undertake the joint protection of orchards in the same region, increasing the effectiveness – the system has the support of the Business Friends of the grower: BASF, Bayer, Cocamar, FMC, Ihara, Koppert, Syngenta and UPL.
Still inside the farms, the institution’s research showed that most psyllids is captured in the first 100 meters from the border, where the control should be more frequent.
Like most psyllids comes to commercial orchards from outside the farms, the external control is important, and that the properties associated to strict internal control, you can check decreased capture insects and reducing the incidence of greening. The strategy is to replace citrus plants and also myrtle trees surrounding the property, in places like gardens and farms, in other fruit and ornamental species, which are not attractive to the psyllid.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.