Task force reinforces actions against Greening in Rio Grande do Sul

The Plant Protection Department of the Rio Grande do Sul Agriculture Secretariat (DDV/Seapi-RS) carried out a task force last week, between December 9th and 12th, in the Vale do Caí, Serra, and on the border of Torres with the state of Santa Catarina to prevent the entry of the HLB/Greening disease into Rio Grande do Sul, which is considered the most serious disease to attack citrus plants worldwide.

On the border with Santa Catarina, 51 shipments of plants of interest were inspected, including four shipments of citrus fruits – which were sealed and only opened at the destination for a complete verification of the contents. In addition, 32 consolidation units (the destination for shipments from other states) were checked. Officials collected three samples of citrus fruits that entered the state with leaves, which is not permitted by law, and sent them for analysis in an official laboratory. Another sample was collected from propagation material originating from outside the state, also with the aim of confirming the absence of Greening disease in seedlings from other states.

According to Deise Feltes Riffel, head of the Plant Health Defense Division of DDV/Seapi, the task force to combat Greening was carried out at a very important time, because "it is a period when the state has no production, causing the consumer to be supplied with fruits from areas where Greening occurs, which puts us at high risk of the disease entering," she concluded.

Deise also emphasizes that all the Department's efforts are aimed at preventing the disease from reaching the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which currently has no recorded cases of Greening. There are approximately 34 hectares of citrus plantations in the state.

In addition to this work, since the beginning of October, officials have been monitoring approximately 360 yellow sticky traps installed at strategic points in the state every two weeks to track the presence of the vector insect in Rio Grande do Sul. So far, six insects have been collected, but all have tested negative for the bacteria, thus confirming that the state remains free of the disease.