Wasp release reduces psyllid population where there is no chemical control

The great destructive potential of Greening and its arrival in Brazilian orchards in 2004 motivated the development of numerous studies on the pest by Fundecitrus, an internationally recognized institution in the production of knowledge for the sustainability of the citrus sector.

Despite the greening management carried out by citrus growers on their properties, adjacent areas with citrus and myrtle plants that did not receive the recommended spraying to control the insect that transmits the pest, attracted psyllids and compromised the producers' actions in the fight against the spread of diseases. in the orchards.

In 2015, Fundecitrus opened its Biological Control laboratory, a wasp breeding biofactory tamarixia radiata, a natural enemy of the psyllid, which carries out its biological control in areas with orange, lemon, tangerine trees and myrtle trees that do not have chemical control, such as abandoned orchards, urban spaces, farms and farms. Locations are determined by the Phytosanitary Alert from Fundecitrus, which monitors the psyllid population in the citrus park of São Paulo and Minas Gerais.

 A tamarixia radiata It uses psyllid nymphs to reproduce, killing them in the process. Each wasp can eliminate up to 500 nymphs. Release into the environment does not cause ecological imbalance, since the wasp does not affect other species of insects or plants. “The objective of Fundecitrus is to contribute to the sustainable management of greening, providing a natural way to reduce the psyllid population and, consequently, reduce the need for spraying in orchards”, says biologist Ana Carolina Pires Veiga, responsible for the laboratory.

In February 2017, Fundecitrus surpassed the mark of 1 million wasps released on 734 properties, covering 4789 hectares.

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