Agricultural Defense actions to control Greening are the topic of a lecture during Citriculture Week

On the third day of activities of the 47th edition of Expocitros and the 43rd Citrus Grower's Week that take place until today (09/06) at the Sylvio Moreira Citriculture Center in Cordeirópolis, the Agricultural Defense Coordination (CDA), from the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply was , again, within the activity schedule. After composing the opening panel last Monday (06/06), Luis Fernando Bianco, coordinator of the CDA, returned to the auditorium of the Citriculture Center, this time, to give a lecture on Defense actions in controlling the HBL Greening.

Bianco began his talk by remembering that of the ten commandments for successful disease control stipulated by the Citrus Defense Fund (Fundecitrus), five are related to Agricultural Defense activities in the State of São Paulo. Actions involving propagation materials (seedlings), control and monitoring of the psyllid (insect vector of the bacteria) and inspection and eradication of plants with symptoms.

Afterwards, the coordinator explained the structural advances achieved that today make the Defense inspection service more efficient in maintaining plant health. “There is no way to operate Defense without structure. They are equipped vehicles, prepared for field service, hiring personnel who free up agronomists to act in inspection and combating the pest. This is reflected in Defense actions”, said Bianco.

Another advance cited by Bianco was the computerized Gedave 2.0 system, which should be available from 2023 and which will modernize and facilitate the registration and registration processes of citrus growers throughout the State. “It is an important tool that guarantees the management not only of plant health, but also of animal health”, said the coordinator.

“Despite all these structural advances, our biggest gain was the leap we made in terms of adapting legislation. Today we have a fully updated website with regard to laws and easy access for producers”, he added.

“This was an issue in which we were successful, as everything was discussed with those involved, that is, we sat down with the production chain to understand how it needed to be done, how it should be done”, added Bianco.

Numbers of inspections and flying operations, history of legislation and indication of new programs were also points raised during the lecture, which ended with an invitation from the coordinator: “Without the participation of the citrus grower, there is no point in the Defense work. There's no point in inspecting currencies, orchards, there's no point even in science. The control of greening It’s work that needs to be done together, we have to join hands to be successful”, concluded Bianco.