Brazil’s citrus crop is suffering this season, according to Franklin Behlau, a senior researcher for Fundecitrus. That was the focus of a recent presentation he provided at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.
“Things have changed in Brazil this season,” Behlau said. “We are a little behind from where Florida is in terms of HLB, but we are beginning to feel the worst part of the disease from crop loss and infection rates in some parts of the Citrus Belt.”
Brazil’s main citrus-growing region is in the state of São Paulo, which accounts for about 74% of the oranges produced in the country. The country produces about 1.14 million acres of citrus with 9,600 growers. The vast majority of that is oranges. Lemons and limes make up a small percentage of citrus production.
“This year’s orange crop we are estimating to be 232.38 million boxes, which is about 25% less than last season,” Behlau said. “This would be our smallest crop in 30 years. This drop is mostly due to weather, but we are experiencing increased problems from HLB, especially in some areas.”
The weather challenges have come from drought and heat. Behlau said in the past year there have been five heatwaves and a warm winter.
“Trees are highly stressed, and we’ve seen a lot of fruit drop,” he said. “Only about 40% of the Citrus Belt in Brazil is irrigated.”
The Citrus Belt has a fairly diverse climate, and HLB infection rates vary. The northern part of the region has seen less infection because conditions there are less favorable for the disease. In addition, farms in the north tend to be larger with fewer growers, which helps coordinate management of the disease.
But in the central and southern regions, the disease is having more of an impact. This is beginning to show up in the data. Since 2018, growers in Brazil have maintained a fairly steady overall infection rate of HLB at around 20%. But in 2024, the infection rate jumped to 38%, mostly from increases in the central and southern regions.
The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) continues to spread and has increased in numbers every year. However, current ACP populations are lower because there has been less flush due to the drought conditions trees are suffering. Growers have reported ACP resistance to four classes of chemistries used to control the pest. Behlau said growers are doing a better job now with product rotation and resistance management.
“The central Citrus Belt is where HLB infection rates are the highest. About one-third of young trees (3 to 5 years old) are now infected,” he said. “This is concerning because we know the prognosis of those trees being productive is not good.”
While some growers, especially in the north, are still scouting for and removing infected trees, other producers are growing tired of removing trees, especially where infection rates are high.
The sense is the progression of HLB is picking up, and the data bears that out. So, growers in Brazil are looking to what growers in Florida have tried to mitigate the effects of the disease.
“There are places where fruit drop is similar to what is being seen in Florida,” Behlau said. “Some growers are beginning to use plant growth regulators to help reduce fruit drop like growers in Florida.”
He added that some growers are moving north where the incidence of HLB is lower, and the conditions are less favorable for the disease.
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