BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS IN A UNIQUE PRODUCT FOR HLB MANAGEMENT A groundbreaking study recently conducted by renowned Brazilian agro-science has resulted in a formula for the effective management of citrus greening, a disease that has severely affected citriculture in Brazil and worldwide for a long time. It was in the laboratories of the Citrus Center of the Agronomic Institute of …
New Tool Will Help Brazilian Growers Manage Psyllids
Fundecitrus has launched Evaluate Psyllid, a tool that will help citrus growers choose insecticides to manage the pest that spreads citrus greening disease. Evaluate Psyllid will make available the results of insecticide efficacy experiments on field psyllid populations in different regions of Brazil’s citrus belt. The insecticide efficacy data will be constantly updated as experiments are carried out. It will …
Brazil Citrus Season Nears End
The Feb. 9 forecast for the 2023–24 orange crop in the São Paulo and West-Southwest of Minas Gerais citrus belt of Brazil is unchanged from December 2023 at 307.22 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms each. This represents a reduction of 0.7% when compared to the initial forecast for the season. Of the total estimated production, approximately 27.76 million boxes are …
Brazil’s Orange Crop and Juice Production
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS), Brazilian orange and orange juice production are both forecast to decline in 2023–24 compared to the prior year. ORANGE CROP The total Brazilian 2023–24 orange crop is forecast at 408 million 40.8-kilogram boxes, equivalent to 16.5 million metric tons (MMT). This is a decrease of 1.03% from the …
Brazil’s Orange Forecast Declines
The updated forecast for the 2023–24 orange crop in Brazil’s citrus belt is 307.22 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms each. That’s a reduction of 2.12 million boxes, or 0.7%, from the September forecast of 309.34 million boxes. The update was issued Dec. 11 by Fundecitrus in cooperation with its partners. The forecast, by varieties, is: IMPACTS ON FRUIT SIZE In …
Heat Wave in Brazil Concerns Citrus Growers
According to the Center for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics (CEPEA), a new heat wave in Brazil’s São Paulo state has been concerning citrus growers. Temperatures are higher than those registered in the last wave in September and are lasting longer. Many producers say that the weather may affect 2024–25 production, but it is still too early to estimate possible …
Brazilians Discuss How to Avoid Florida’s Fate With Greening
Brazil’s government, institutions and citrus growers need to join efforts to overcome greening “so that Brazil does not go through the same situation as Florida,” a São Paulo agriculture official declared Nov. 7. Orlando Melo de Castro, undersecretary of agriculture, made those remarks to about 500 people at an international citrus symposium in Araraquara, São Paulo. “To this end, we …
Economist Provides Brazilian Citrus Update
Agriculture is the driving force in the Brazilian economy, and Brazil is a leading food supplier to the global market, economist Marisa Zansler told the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) at its last meeting. Zansler is director of economic and market research at the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). She visited Brazil in August and provided the FCC with an update …
Brazilians Learn About Mechanical Harvesting
Representatives of Fundecitrus and the Brazilian citrus industry went to Seville, Spain, to participate in a meeting about mechanical harvesting of citrus. The key objective was learning about different tools and machines designed for the mechanization of citrus handling. One example of machinery is the mechanized harvesting equipment used for densely cultivated orange groves. In one of their visits, the …
Brazilians Develop New Fruit Borer Trap
Fundecitrus, with the participation of a MasterCitrus student and in partnership with a private company, has developed a new generation of citrus fruit borer traps. The trap is resistant to rain and includes guidelines to assist growers. Fundecitrus researcher Haroldo Volpe explained that the new product is an advance in the fight against citrus fruit borers. “We had a high-tech …
Film Calls for Urgency Regarding Greening in Brazil
Fundecitrus recently launched the institutional awareness-raising film Urgência as yet another part of the Greening Is Serious campaign. The campaign began in January last year. In the film, 10 representatives of the citrus sector talk about the economic, social, environmental and historical dimensions of citrus growing in São Paulo and Minas Gerais. They point out everything that is at risk …
The Push for Pruning in Brazil’s Dense Groves
Due to major problems with pests and diseases, Brazilian producers have adopted alternative practices, such as dense planting, Fundecitrus’ Citricultor magazine recently reported. These practices reduce costs, increase yield and achieve a faster return on investment. As a result of this trend, new production practices are needed to improve management, including the frequent pruning of trees, which is essential in …
Brazil’s Public and Private Sectors Tackle Greening
Representatives of the Brazilian private citrus sectors of São Paulo and Minas Gerais met Sept. 25 with members of São Paulo’s government to formulate joint action plans against citrus greening disease. Representing the private sector in the meeting were Fundecitrus, Brazilian Table Citrus Association, Vivecitrus, Citrus Consultants Group and Technical Assistance and Consultancy Group in Citrus. The government of the …
Psyllid Resistance to Organophosphates Begins in Brazil
Research has confirmed the initial phase of resistance of the HLB-spreading psyllid to the active ingredient malathion in some microregions of the citrus belt of São Paulo and Triângulo/Southwest Mineiro. Malathion is from the organophosphate chemical group. The research was conducted by Fundecitrus in partnership with Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture/University of São Paulo (Esalq/USP). This is the third …
Season’s First Update to Brazil’s Orange Forecast
The first update of the 2023–24 orange crop forecast for the São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt confirmed the initial May forecast of 309.34 million boxes. Fundecitrus announced the update on Sept. 11. The forecast for Hamlin, Westin and Rubi varieties was increased 3.5% to 58.09 million boxes. Other early-season varieties climbed 1.6% to 18.51 million boxes. The …
Brazil Breaks Psyllid Record Again
The Brazilian citrus belt of São Paulo and Triângulo/Sudoeste Mineiro has recorded yet another record high in the average number of greening-spreading Asian citrus psyllids captured by traps. In the second half of August, there was an average growth of 147% in the average catch compared to the previous two-week period. The average jumped from 3.4 to 8.4 insects per …
Brazilian Psyllid Increase Poses Extreme Risk
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
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 Reach Historically High Levels in Brazil
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
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 …


























