In Brazil, citriculture is expanding into new regions such as the Triângulo Mineiro, the northwest of São Paulo state, and Mato Grosso do Sul. This shift highlights the importance of maintaining effective control of the psyllid responsible for citrus greening (HLB) and eliminating diseased plants.

To address this, Fundecitrus began testing insecticides in these areas and observed promising results in the initial evaluations, even with some products to which the psyllid is resistant.

Fundecitrus researcher Marcelo Miranda described the findings as highly encouraging.

“As the psyllid population is low in commercial orchards in these regions, we collected samples from non-commercial orchards and nearby myrtle trees,” he explained. “In general, we observed high insect mortality with insecticides from groups that have already performed well in other regions.”

He added, “The good news is that products from the pyrethroid and neonicotinoid groups also showed effectiveness.”

These results mean citrus growers in these new regions will have a wider range of insecticides available for rotation, Fundecitrus noted.

Marcelo also emphasized the importance of using at least four products with different modes of action and testing their efficacy before field application.

“Professionals can access information through Avalia Psilídeo, available on the Fundecitrus website, and, of course, consult with one of our agronomists in their region,” he said.