Technology enables high productivity in citrus farming

Experts, producers, entities and industry have joined forces in recent years to increase the productivity and competitiveness of the citrus sector in Brazil. The actions were responsible for an increase in performance in the citrus chain, with positive impacts on the quality and sustainability of cultivation.

Proof of this are the harvest estimate numbers, released by Citrus Defense Fund (Fundecitrus). According to the entity, the 2017/18 orange harvest in Brazil's main citrus park – which encompasses 349 municipalities in São Paulo and Minas Gerais – should be 364,47 million boxes of 40,8 kg. The Fund estimates that production will be 14% higher than the historical average of the last ten years.

Among the factors responsible for high productivity, the good climatic conditions for cultivation in recent months and the rest of the reproductive cycle stand out – which favored the trees' energy reserves.

Plant health was also guaranteed by a series of integrated actions, such as the creation of the Phytosanitary Alert for the control and management of Greening (HLB) – the most destructive citrus disease in Brazil, and the integration of technologies, such as the use of drones and management software for the modernization of the production chain. All of this impacted the quality of the fruits, efficiency and high productivity in the crop.

Phytosanitary Alert

The Fundecitrus Phytosanitary Alert system monitors the presence of the psyllid Diaphorina citri, an insect that transmits HLB (huanglongbing/greening), the worst disease that affects orange orchards in the citrus park that encompasses the municipalities of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, the main producing area of citrus in the country.

The system works through georeferenced yellow sticky traps installed by producers in the regions, or by Fundecitrus, in the monitored areas. The traps generate analysis data on the population fluctuation of the psyllid, organizing information about the insect and the presence of sprouts on the properties and monitored regions.

Based on the data generated by the traps, producers obtain exclusive information that shows the situation of each of the participating properties and regions, indicating which are the critical places where the insect is present and where control is necessary.

With the data in hand, they evaluate when to apply pesticides and whether it is necessary to carry out an integrated application throughout the region – this action prevents the insect from migrating between orchards.

Alert monitors the presence of the psyllid Diaphorina citri, an insect that transmits HLB. Photo: Fundecitrus.

Regional Management

Integrated management is another efficient control action for Greening. It includes adequate monitoring, which must be done in a guided manner and by all citrus growers in the same region. Between the months of February and September, disease symptoms are more visible in citrus plants, but Fundecitrus advises that citrus growers carry out at least six inspections of all plants in the orchard during the year.

Differentiated planting on the edges, another initiative that integrates citrus management, has been widely used on farms in the citrus park, according to Fundecitrus. The strategy implements denser lines parallel to the property boundary as a way of setting up a barrier to prevent the entry of psyllids into the orchard. The big advantage is being able to carry out more intense psyllid control in the area where it is most present.

Air Technology

For Maurício Gabiolli, Owner of Drone Sense Aerial Technology, a company specializing in the commercialization, implementation of projects and consultancy in Drones and Vant's, the two main applications of the aerial platform in farming are Aerial Mapping and the Application Drone.

“Through mapping done with Drones and Vant's it is possible to obtain clear images daily of several hectares throughout the plantation. With this precise and fast mapping, it is possible to identify new stains and their precise location, allowing emergency decisions to be made to eliminate these stains”, explains Gabiolli. The other form of application is the Drone Sprayer. Through it, it is possible to carry out precise applications on the reboles, avoiding wastage of herbicide.

The Co-Owner of Drone Sense reports that many of the company's clients have greatly increased the efficiency, quantity and quality of planting through aerial monitoring with drones and vans. “I believe we still have a lot to grow and evolve. Brazil will advance a lot in agriculture in a short time. I believe that each farmer will have a set of Vant's and Drones perfecting their planting. This will be a necessary item just as tractors evolved”, adds Maurício.

Software in the field

Management software helps citrus growers to intelligently monitor their orchards. As Strider PROTECTOR, for example – technological solution developed for agriculture – the producer monitors the control levels of his crops with more assertiveness.

Using a georeferenced system, it generates intelligent heat maps, making it easy to quickly detect the exact location where the infestation has gotten out of control. Through the platform, it is also possible to follow the timeline of each plot and compare it with previous data, such as pest levels, applications, development stages and other strategic information for intelligent decision making.

The system also helps manage farm employees. Through a dashboard, the producer can know where his employee has been, the path he took during the day, how many points were collected, and even compare and schedule the activities of each employee.

Sustainable future

Citrus farming is the target of many pests and diseases, but it also has several types of tools to deal with phytosanitary problems. The sector must specialize even more in the future, focusing on increasingly healthier, more productive and sustainable crops. Technological innovations emerge every day to offer producers smarter, cheaper and more natural actions to combat threats.

Source: Blog Inside Agro

More information: Strider.ag