Brazilian Psyllid Increase Poses Extreme Risk

Josh McGillBrazil, HLB Management, Psyllids

Brazil’s primary citrus region recorded a significant increase in the average number of HLB-spreading psyllids captured in the first half of August compared to the previous fortnight and the same period of 2022. In the citrus belt of São Paulo and Triângulo/Sudoeste Mineiro, there was an average growth of 80.4% in the capture of psyllids in the last fortnight compared …

Alert Issued for Leprosis in Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, Diseases

Brazil’s Fundecitrus is alerting citrus growers to take extra measures against leprosis during the current critical period for disease occurrence, May to September. At this time, fruit are in development, and the lack of rain favors outbreaks of the leprosis-transmitting mite. Leprosis is an important disease of Brazilian citrus that in recent years has caused significant damage to orange groves. …

psyllids

Psyllids Reach Historically High Levels in Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, HLB Management, Psyllids

Populations of Asian citrus psyllids in the Brazilian states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais have hit historically high levels, Fundecitrus recently reported. Fundecitrus described the development as “alarming” because the psyllids spread citrus greening disease.  Reversing the situation requires immediate and joint action among citrus growers in the same micro-region, Fundecitrus stated. It reported that in the first half …

Outlook for Brazil’s 2023–24 Orange Crop

Josh McGillBrazil, Crop Forecast

The total Brazilian orange crop for 2023–24 is forecast at 410.6 million 40.8-kilogram boxes, a decrease of 1.1% from last season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported recently. The commercial area of the state of São Paulo and the western part of Minas Gerais should produce 309 million boxes, a decrease of 1.55% from last …

Brazilian OJ Exports to United States Surge

Josh McGillBrazil, Orange Juice

Brazil is the world’s leading exporter of orange juice (OJ) and accounts for nearly 80% of the OJ marketed in the world. For every five cups of orange juice consumed, almost four are produced in Brazil. According to the Institute of Agricultural Economics, in the first four months of the year, São Paulo exported $682 million in juice, of which …

Fundecitrus App Aids Psyllid Insecticide Rotation

Josh McGillBrazil, HLB Management, Technology

The Fundecitrus app, launched in February, has a new feature to help citrus growers properly rotate insecticides to manage the psyllid that spreads citrus greening disease. The new feature helps growers choose insecticides with different modes of action. The use of insecticides with the same mode of action in sequential applications can result in an increase in the frequency of …

Fundecitrus Researchers Contribute to Citrus Meetings

Josh McGillBrazil, Events

Fundecitrus researchers contributed to two recent citrus gatherings in South America — the 48th Expocitrus/44th Citriculture Week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and a CITRIBAC project meeting in Argentina. Researchers Franklin Behlau, Marcelo Miranda and Geraldo Silva Júnior, along with postdoctoral fellows Deived Carvalho and Wellington Ivo Eduardo, gave lectures on citrus-growing topics at the 48th Expocitrus/ 44th Citriculture Week. The …

HLB Researcher Honored

Josh McGillAwards, Brazil

Fundecitrus researcher Marcelo Pedreira de Miranda has received the Outstanding Citriculture Engineer-Agronomist Award from the 48th Expocitrus and 44th Citriculture Week. The Brazilian entomologist, whose main studies are related to HLB, has worked at Fundecitrus since 2008. The award ceremony where Miranda was honored was part of the opening afternoon of the exhibition week and was attended by authorities and …

study

Psyllids Resistant to Insecticides in Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, HLB Management

Psyllids collected in orchards in four microregions of Brazil’s citrus belt showed reduced susceptibility to insecticides from the pyrethroid and neonicotinoid chemical groups. That information was reported earlier this year by agronomist and researcher Fernando Amaral of the Arthropod Resistance Laboratory at the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture/University of São Paulo (ESALQ/USP). This was the first confirmation of psyllid …

Three New Citrus Varieties Released in Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, Varieties

Three new citrus varieties were recently released in Brazil. They are the orange Navelina XR, the early sweet orange BRS IAC FCC Alvorada and the Tahiti lemon Ponta Firme. All are the result of a research partnership among Embrapa, the Coopercitrus Credicitrus Foundation and the Sylvio Moreira Citriculture Center, linked to the Agronomic Institute. NAVELINA XRDeveloped for fresh consumption, Navelina …

Awareness Campaign Battles HLB in Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, HLB Management

Brazil’s Fundecitrus in 2022 and 2023 conducted an awareness campaign to replace citrus and myrtle plants to combat HLB in the municipality of Itobi, São Paulo. The citrus and myrtle plants were replaced with other fruit and ornamental species that do not host the Asian citrus psyllid that transmits HLB, also known as greening disease. These citrus and myrtle plants …

Brazil’s Initial Orange Forecast for 2023–24

Tacy CalliesBrazil, Crop Forecast

The 2023–2024 initial orange forecast for Brazil’s citrus belt is 309.34 million boxes. The forecast was announced on May 10 by Fundecitrus and its cooperators. The projected volume is 1.55% less than the previous crop, which totaled 314.21 million boxes. Fundecitrus reported that weather conditions are positive for the 2023–24 crop with rains being 50% above the historical average. However, …

Brazil’s Sustainable Citriculture Effort Updated

Josh McGillBrazil

Sustainable Citriculture, a voluntary initiative by citrus growers and orange juice industries in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, has completed two years in search of sustainable development for Brazilian citriculture. The initiative, which is committed to preserving natural resources, has created a set of actions and partnerships that seek to encourage responsible food production and environmental protection. Its goals include …

Brazil’s Final Orange Forecast for 2022–23

Josh McGillBrazil, Crop Forecast

The final 2022–23 orange crop forecast for Brazil’s São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt is 314.21 million 90-pound boxes. While the crop declined 0.6% from the February forecast, it is much larger than the country’s 2021–22 crop. The Valencia and Valencia Folha Murcha varieties declined by 1.1% since February to 105.01 million boxes, and the Natal variety declined …

Black Spot Management by Variety and Age

Josh McGillBrazil, Diseases

In Brazil’s São Paulo citrus belt, infections of fruit by black spot usually occur from petal fall, in September/October, until the end of the rainy season, usually in April. Black spot can reduce production by up to 85%. Some studies have shown that the amount of fungicide applications to control black spot can be established according to the orange variety. …

HLB Concerns Government Officials in Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, HLB Management

Brazil’s Fundecitrus on Feb. 15 participated in a meeting with state and local government representatives to discuss the country’s citrus greening (HLB) situation. Representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Supply (SAA) of the state of São Paulo and mayors of some municipalities in the citrus belt also attended. Mayors and representatives of city halls expressed concern about the economic …

Rust Mite Damage and Management

Josh McGillBrazil, Pests

Phyllocoptruta oleivora, known as the false rust mite in Brazil, is one of the country’s main citrus pests, Fundecitrus reported. In the United States, the pest is known as citrus rust mite or silver mite. It affects all varieties of citrus. Infestation in Brazil’s orchards occurs throughout the year but reaches the highest populations between December and June. That’s a …

china

Brazil’s Orange Forecast Climbs Slightly 

Josh McGillBrazil, Crop Forecast

The third 2022–23 orange crop forecast for Brazil’s São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt amounted to 316.23 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms each. That is 0.7% higher than the projected crop in December 2022. This increase is mainly due to the production of Pera Rio orange. Pera Rio’s harvest is close to complete with higher-than-expected yield. The forecast …

Brazil’s Orange Juice Production and Exports

Josh McGillBrazil, Orange Juice

Production of Brazilian frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) is forecast at 1.12 million metric tons (MMT) in 2022–23, a drop of 1% from the prior year. The reduction is due to the lower availability of fruit for processing, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) Brazilian citrus report. São Paulo is expected to process 268 …

guide

Orange Crop Outlook for Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, Crop Forecast

The total Brazilian orange crop for marketing year 2022–23 is forecast at 405 million boxes (MB), a reduction of 10 MB compared to the previous season. The commercial area in the state of São Paulo and the western part of Minas Gerais should account for 305 MB, a drop of 3% from the prior year.  Production from other states is …