Fundecitrus’ annual survey of citrus greening incidence shows that in 2025 the disease affected 47.63% of orange trees in the Citrus Belt of São Paulo and the Triângulo/Southwest Minas Gerais region. This represents a 7.4% increase compared to 2024, when the incidence was 44.35%.
SLOWER RATE OF INCREASE
However, for the second consecutive year, a slowdown in the rate of increase in greening incidence was observed. The 7.4% growth from 2024 to 2025 is a much smaller increase than that seen in previous years, which was 16.5% from 2023 to 2024 and 55.9% from 2022 to 2023.
According to Fundecitrus researcher Renato Bassanezi, the slowdown may be the result of several measures. “Citrus growers took greater care in selecting areas for new plantings, prioritizing regions with a lower risk of contamination,” Bassanezi said. “They also resumed the practice of removing diseased trees up to five years old, followed by immediate replanting. Furthermore, a significant decline in the population of the bacterial vector, the psyllid, was recorded in 2024 due to improved control.”
According to Juliano Ayres, executive director of Fundecitrus, producers are refining their greening management, and the effects of improved control can be felt in the field. “They have been extremely careful both in orchard development and in rigorous control in the early years,” Ayres said.
It is estimated that nearly 100 million trees, out of a total of 209 million in the Citrus Belt, are infected. According to the study, the progression of the disease is linked to a combination of several factors. These include high psyllid populations, the high presence of diseased plants in orchards and milder temperatures in the second half of 2024 being more favorable to greening multiplication.
DISEASE SEVERITY AND DROP
The average disease severity (percentage of plant canopy showing symptoms) increased for the fourth consecutive year, from 18.7% in 2024 to 22.7% in 2025. Areas with the highest incidence of greening also have the highest levels of disease severity.
The most greening-affected areas in 2025 continue to be Limeira (79.9%), Porto Ferreira (70.6%), Avaré (69.2%), Duartina (62.7%) and Brotas (60.8%).
The average orange drop rate attributed to greening rose from 3.1% in the 2021–22 harvest to 9.1% in the 2024–25 harvest, currently accounting for 50.8% of the total fruit dropped before harvest.
MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Fundecitrus recommends that greening management be tailored to the disease incidence in each region. If the grower chooses not to eradicate diseased plants in areas with a high incidence of greening, it is essential to maintain strict psyllid control to contain disease spread and extend orchard lifespan. In areas with a low incidence, it is imperative that diseased plants be eliminated immediately, and psyllid control be carried out continuously.
“The management measures implemented have helped slow the disease’s progression,” Ayres said. “The data show that the control package, when implemented comprehensively, truly works.”
Source: Fundecitrus
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