Fundecitrus installs two experiments on greening in the experimental field of the Citriculture Center

Fundecitrus, in partnership with IAC, Esalq/USP and Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura, installed two experiments in the experimental field of the Sylvio Moreira Citriculture Center as part of studies on greening.

The experiments are part of a stage of the research project “Measures to reduce primary infections in the integrated management of huanglongbing in the citrus belt of São Paulo: technical and economic feasibility”, supported by Fapesp, which seeks to improve the package of integrated disease management techniques .

Fundecitrus researcher Renato Bassanezi, responsible for the project, explains that studies on greening are fundamental for the continuity and competitiveness of São Paulo's citrus industry. “Especially at this time, when greening is reaching its highest level of incidence in the citrus belt, it is essential that all the knowledge produced and updated reaches the citrus grower and that he adopts a rigorous management package to control the disease”, he states.

Experiments evaluate the interaction of the psyllid with shoots and with combinations of scion and rootstock

The experiments installed in the experimental field of the Sylvio Moreira Citriculture Center are focused on the psyllid Diaphorina citri, an insect vector of greening.

The first experiment aims to evaluate citrus plant sprouts and psyllid dispersal. To evaluate this effect of the flow of shoots within the same plot on this dispersion, four different treatments will be defined according to the presence/absence of shoots on the edge and in the center of the plot.

The second experiment aims to evaluate the influence of vegetative vigor resulting from the scion/rootstock combination on the psyllid dispersal at the edge of the property. As a high vigor combination, the Hamlin orange tree grafted on a Sunki Tropical mandarin tree will be used and as a low vigor combination the Hamlin orange tree will be used on Flying Dragon trifoliate. The experiments will be based on the methodology of marking, releasing and recapturing the psyllid and the results will be used to develop greening control strategies in plots on the edge of properties.

“These experiments are part of a larger research effort that will provide important input for the integration of control measures applied on the edge of the plots to increase the effectiveness of greening management in the citrus belt”, adds Bassanezi.

The researcher also highlights that “The partnership between Fundecitrus, IAC, Esalq/USP and Embrapa in this project is important so that research in the search for solutions to control greening progresses faster. Greening control requires the participation and collaboration of all citrus growers, as well as the effort and knowledge of the entire scientific community to be successful.”

For the director of the Sylvio Moreira Citriculture Center, Dirceu Mattos Jr., this partnership demonstrates the research effort in the United Against Greening campaign. “In fact, we are putting skills into a puzzle with many pieces, to which we need our full attention to establish better disease control strategies and keep our citrus industry sustainable. The institutional interaction created with the establishment of these experiments is exceptional, it creates greater opportunities for discussions, quality of work and deliveries to the sector”, he states.