Sílvio Ávila
57
Once infected with citrus greening disease
(HLB), there is no treatment capable of curing
the plant. Therefore, there is need for the cit-
rus farmers to incorporate management prac-
tices that help prevent its entrance into the
orchard, or for keeping the pest fromdissemi-
nating in and outside the property.
Within this context, researcher RenatoBas-
sanezi, from the Citrus Defense Fund (Fun-
decitrus), explains that HLB control actions
are no longer conducted only inside the farm
gates. Citrus farmers have started acting out-
side the farm, taking part in regional insect
management initiatives, thus promoting con-
trol measures all over the region, neighboring
farms, abandoned orchards, backyard orange
trees and orchards in urban areas.
To make this external work easier, Fun-
decitrus has created a Phytosanitary Warning
system, an online program that indicates the
critical locations for psyllidae infestations, on
the surroundings of the farms, a measure that
encourages regional and joint control, pro-
moting its efficiency. Regional management,
which involves several citrus farmers of a mi-
cro-region, has shown to be the most efficient
manner to prevent the disease from progress-
ing from one plant to the next, as groups of
farmers work jointly in the fight against psyl-
lidae, eliminating its population in a vast area
and not only in individual orchards. For this
management practice to work properly, there
is need for the participation of the biggest
number of farmers possible.
Nevertheless, the main solution for pre-
venting HLB from spreading consists in join-
ing several control measures, which should be
applied inside the farm gate and outside.
Plenty of
precautions
Jointwork and awarning
systemare a good
aid in preventing the
greeningdisease from
entering the commercial
orchards in the citrus
producing regions in
the Country
Recommended measures:
n
Plantingplanningandorchard renewal,
avoidinghighly infected regions, or lyingnext
to contaminatedareaswhere there is hardly
any control over psyllidae, whilst planning
the planting time to facilitate psyllidae control
operations;
n
Plantinghealthy seedlings fromprotected
and certifiednurseries;
n
Accelerationandhigher orchard
productivity;
n
Inspection and elimination of HLB
infected plants;
n
Monitoringandcontrol over psyllidae, paying
special heed to the borders of the orchard;
n
Participation in regionalmanagement,
which consists in large-scale control carried
out by several producers in the region,
simultaneously;
n
Keeping surroundings of the orchardunder
control, inorder to seek and eliminate infected
plants andpsyllidae.
Source:Fundecitrus.
