A recent issue of the Annual Review of Phytopathology contains the article, “Management of huanglongbing of citrus: Lessons from São Paulo and Florida.” It discusses the lessons in HLB management, comparing what was done in orchards in Brazil’s state of São Paulo and in Florida. It also highlights the measures that worked and failed from the perspective of controlling the disease.
The authors are James H. Graham and William O. Dawson with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Renato B. Bassanezi with Brazil’s Fundecitrus and Rick Dantzler with the Citrus Research and Development Foundation.
The differences in the progress of the disease in Brazil and Florida occurred mainly due to the rigorous adoption of measures to eradicate diseased plants and control the psyllid, in addition to coordinated and regional management. In São Paulo, HLB progressed more slowly compared to orchards in Florida.
In both places, a three-pronged management approach was recommended and begun: planting only disease-free nursery trees, effective psyllid control and removal of all symptomatic trees. In Brazil, these management procedures were continued and improved and resulted in relatively little overall loss of production. In contrast, the citrus industry in Florida has been devastated with annual production reduced by approximately 80%.
“The maintenance of diseased plants in commercial orchards and surrounding areas, concentrating disease control solely on insecticide applications, has been the main cause of the increase in the disease in São Paulo,” Bassanezi said. “This is a fundamental measure that needs to be associated with the rotation of modes of action and the correct application of insecticides, within an appropriate frequency.”
Source: Fundecitrus
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