Peruvian researcher visits Embrapa to learn about biological control of citrus pests

Monica Cango, researcher at the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru, will be at Embrapa Meio Ambiente (Jaguariúna, SP), from April 26th to 29th, for a technical visit to the "Costa Lima" Quarantine Laboratory.

During the visit, possibilities for cooperation will be discussed as well as technical aspects of the methodology for breeding the exotic pest, the citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, which transmits an important citrus disease in Asia and Africa, “ex-greening” or HLB; and also on the laboratory creation of the imported exotic parasitoid, Diaphorencytus aligarhensis for the classic biological control of this pest.

According to Monica, this exchange of experiences and knowledge in controlling this pest - which is the main pest in citrus in the world, how it is being developed and whether it is being effective, with specialists from Brazil, and with this imported exotic parasitoid that does not exist in other countries , will be very important, since the psyllid is now entering Peru.

Monica works with integrated management, taxonomy, fungi, extracts and chemicals in fruit trees such as grapes, oranges, avocados and blueberries and makes herself available to interested researchers.

During the visit, led by Quarantine Laboratory researcher Luiz Alexandre Sá, cages were shown for breeding the citrus psyllid pest, and its parasitoid imported from California, USA, under controlled laboratory conditions (temperature, humidity and photophase). . These insect farms were established on seedlings of sweet myrtle plants, Murraya paniculata, with weekly infestations of the pest, with approximately 400 adult individuals of D. citri per cage, with the adopted methodology for breeding these insects being successful. In the end, Mônica wants to make a proposal for integrated pest management (IPM) of Diaphorina for citrus crops.