Critical period requires attention to the management of leprosis in citrus

Leprosis is one of the main diseases in citrus farming and mainly affects sweet orange trees. Expanding in the citrus belt in recent years, the disease requires attention especially between the months of May and September, a critical period for its occurrence.

In severely attacked plants, leprosis causes intense and premature fruit drop, defoliation and drying of branches, drastically reducing the plant's production and longevity.

To contain the disease and avoid damage to the orchard, the main management strategy is to keep the population of the mite that transmits leprosis at low levels, through the application of acaricides. It is important to carry out frequent and rigorous monitoring of the mite in the orchard, with inspections at least every two weeks, to detect population increases early on, thus facilitating control strategies.

It is also important to rotate miticides with different modes of action, as cases of resistant populations of the leprosy mite have already been recorded – which makes it even more important to preserve the efficient mites available to control the mite.

Learn more about the disease and management recommendations in the Citrus Leprosis Handbook, available for free download at https://www.fundecitrus.com.br/comunicacao/manual_detalhes/leprose-dos-citros/85.