A new booklet developed by the Secretariat for Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo, where most of the orange production in Brazil is concentrated, intends to present a series of practices that help reconcile agriculture and the quality and conservation of the quality and quantity of water.

The booklet, which can be found at the Secretariat’s website without charges, discusses concepts on irrigation, protection of springs with ciliary forest planting, and technologies for irrigation, which aim to reduce water consumption, making it more efficient.

Other measures, such as soil conservation have also been addressed as they are linked to water conservation. Uncovered soils suffer erosion caused by rainfall and these sediments are carried to the streams, seeding streams, creeks and rivers. Erosions open up the water table.

With 35 pages, the idea of the material is to use a simple and objective language to be read by adults, but also by the younger generation to understand early on the value and need to respect and conserve the environment in their daily actions. The booklet was edited by the Coordination of Integral Technical Assistance (CATI) and has technical supervision of the agronomist and soil conservation expert, Mr. Mário Ivo Drugowich.

According to the Secretary for Agriculture of São Paulo, Mr. Arnaldo Jardim, the material will help disseminating these practices among technicians and rural producers in the State. “May the experiences reported in the booklet serve as an example for many who are every day in the field, facing climate change. May everybody consciously care for and use this water resource and help us to carry out a proactive work of taking care of this precious and finite good, which is water. We are farming in harmony with the environment in São Paulo”.

Some of the practices highlighted in the booklet have already been reported by the blog. You can recall some of them in the links below:

http://sustainablejuice.com/2017/02/citrus-growing-in-times-of-sustainability/

http://sustainablejuice.com/2017/02/efficient-cost-effective-spraying/

To read the booklet in Portuguese, check the link:

http://agricultura.sp.gov.br/media/13375-uso-racional-da-%C3%A1gua-na-agricultura.pdf

The pathway to sustainable citrus growing goes through improvements in the tools to manage the orchard in order to maintain its health, in synch with new, latest innovation in production trends, with efficient use of natural resources and which are less impacting on the environment. Aware of such demand, Fundecitrus has looked in all its lines of research for new ways of helping citrus growers to maintain their orchards producing with cost efficiency and not adversely affecting the environment.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AND PHEROMONE

Fundecitrus approach concerning that strategy started in 1996, when a big surge of citrus fruit borer – a moth whose caterpillar penetrates the fruit and may cause significant crop losses – led the research to look for alternatives that could inhibit the advance of that pest. Researchers studied the insect’s habits, described its life cycle and were able to isolate its sex pheromone. The effort resulted in a trap, available to citrus growers since 2001, which is a low-cost, high-efficiency tool to monitor the fruit borer. A recent study by the “Luiz de Queiroz” Agricultural College (Esalq/USP) reported that the use of such trap prevented losses from US$132.7 million to 1.32 billion from November 2001 to 2013.

Also in 1996, another pest – the citrus leafminer – started causing serious problems to citrus growing due to its influence on the severity of citrus canker. Keeping up with its search for low-cost and low environmental impact tools, Fundecitrus oriented its efforts towards a fast and efficient solution. Studies were conducted regarding the feasibility of importing Ageniaspis citricola wasp, a leafminer parasitoid, from the US. By mid 1998 the first lot of this parasitoid, arrived in Brazil. After the quarantine procedure, the little wasps were reared in large scale and released in 200 orchards from 60 municipalities of Sao Paulo State. Tamarixia radiata, a natural enemy of the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), vector of the bacteria associated with HLB (huanglongbing/greening), is the newest sustainable tool used by Fundecitrus to fight against the world’s main citrus disease. The little wasp uses the psyllid nymphs to reproduce, by laying its eggs below them, so that later, it will become food to the larvae when they eventually hatch. In May 2015, Fundecitrus started its biofactory in Araraquara-SP. The T.radiata production of this lab is around 100.000 wasps per month, which are released at locations such as backyard or abandoned orchards, rural and urban areas. The goal is to reduce the psyllid population at their breeding grounds in a sustainable manner to avoid their migration to orange orchards.

A research developed by Professor Jose Postali Parra’s team, from Esalq/ USP, with Fundecitrus support, showed that in areas where Tamarixia radiata was released, there was an average reduction of 70% in the psyllid population, reaching peaks higher than 90%.

NATURAL INSECTICIDES

Insecticides with natural compounds are another sustainable-control alternative. In this respect, Fundecitrus is developing a bioinsecticide and a botanical insecticide to control the psyllid. The bioinsecticide is based on an entomopathogenic fungus (which causes disease to insects). After four years of research developed in partnership with Esalq/USP and Koppert, the product is being field tested, with initial results showing 80% efficiency in controlling the psyllid. The botanical insecticide, developed in association with Embrapa Acre, is an essential oil extracted from a plant known as spiked pepper. This plant produces a compound named dillapiol and has shown, in lab tests, to have good potential to control the psyllid.
With the arrival of HLB in Sao Paulo, in 2004, citrus growers saw their costs soar with sprayings. Also, at that time, Fundecitrus started its research on the technology application against the psyllid, aiming to reduce up to 70% of insecticide and water for this pest control. Additionally, the institution has maintained for several years a team dedicated to training growers and visit citrus farms to teach them how to correctly adjust spraying equipment to avoid waste.

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The trend is that the citrus industry will increasingly use technological innovations in the future, with focus on sustainability, and wiser, cheaper, and more natural strategies, such as pheromones, to help both: to monitor the insects and to attract and kill them. Another strategy is the study of repellence by odors or physical pest control. As a long-term strategy, researchers are also searching for plants – either citrus or other crops which may be inter-planted with orange trees – that are disease-resistant or pest-repellent.
“No matter the pathway to be taken, all Fundecitrus researches are earmarked for improving citrus growing with increasingly more natural and intelligent measures”, affirms the institution’s manager, Juliano Ayres.

Click here  to access the entire issue.

]]> http://sustainablejuice.com/2017/02/citrus-growing-in-times-of-sustainability/feed/ 0 http://sustainablejuice.com/2017/02/efficient-cost-effective-spraying/ http://sustainablejuice.com/2017/02/efficient-cost-effective-spraying/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2017 17:54:17 +0000 http://sustainablejuice.com/?p=473 A research by Fundecitrus shows that it is possible to reduce the spray volume by 70%, and costs by up to 40% while maintaining quality of control deseases.

During the 2012-2013 and 2013- 2014 seasons, the researchers assessed several volumes of spray and copper rates to control citrus canker on trees of sweet orange “Valencia” planted in 2006, with an average canopy volume of 49 m³. Spray volumes were defined based on the tree canopy size, aiming to reduce waste of resources and production costs.

Volumes of 150, 100, 70, and 40 mL of spray mixture/m³ of canopy were tested during two seasons. The last two volumes were also assessed with adjustment of the copper rate. The study assessed the incidence of leaves and fruits with symptoms, premature fruit drop, yield, copper deposits on the leaves, spray coverage and the cost-benefit ratio.

In the first year, the copper-treated plants – regardless of the volume and copper adjustment – showed at the most 5% of occurrence of diseased leaves. Whereas non-sprayed trees showed a peak of 30% of leaves with citrus canker.

In the second year, results were similar to those in the first year, except for the 40 mL/m³ volume with no rate adjustment, which reached 10% of symptomatic leaves, between November and January, when tree flushing coincides with the occurrence of rains.

According to researchers, the lower protection of that treatment was caused by the reduction of product deposits on the tree. In this case, when the rate was adjusted, control was reestablished, showing that the 40 mL volume may be efficient, since the metallic copper rate is adjusted.

“The results show that spray volumes may be safely used by citrus growers. Lower spray volumes and copper rates may affect such control and are still being studied.”, affirms researcher Franklin Behlau.

With this method, citrus growers would save US$ 1.5 in one application, on a 100-hectare area, for example.

Equipment adjustments are required to use reduced volumes of spray, among which the use of spray nozzles that produce fine droplets (150 µm). The sprayer speed must not exceed 5.5 km/h, with a minimum coverage of 30% on the leaves inside the canopy.

According to Fundecitrus researcher Marcelo da Silva Scapin: “The adequacy of application volumes allows savings and reduction of the environmental impact, in addition to increasing the operating efficiency of the equipment”, he affirms.

As an example, if the reduction proposed by the research were applied to the Sao Paulo State citrus belt, which is currently estimated at 462 thousand hectares, if carrying out six applications per crop year, there would be savings of 6.2 billion liters of water, enough to supply the whole city of Sao Paulo for 5 days, or the equivalent to 56 million people for one day. The cost reduction for the whole citrus belt would reach US$ 40 million a year in expenses with equipment, product and labor.

To see the entire publication, please click here.

The 22^nd World Climate Conference (COP 22), held in November in Morocco, ended with the signing of the Marrakech Action Proclamation, a statement on what the State Parties consider a priority to try to contain global warming in the coming years. “The climate is warming at an alarming and unprecedented rate and we have a duty to respond urgently to the problem”, says the document published by the Ministry of Environment, which makes an assessment of the Brazilian participation in the event.

According to the document, the Brazilian government has evaluated COP22 as a “starting point”, whose focus is the definition of the so-called “rulebook” for the implementation of the obligations assumed under the Agreement. Brazil participated in the COP with a wide and diversified delegation, including representatives from different scopes of Government, academia, private entities and non-governmental organizations. There were 271 Brazilian delegates in Marrakech, of which 87 connected to the Government and 184 from civil society.

The report also outlines the position adopted by the Brazilian representatives at the Conference, such as the view that the Paris Agreement is irreversible and that the work needs to be speeded up to implement it. It also points out to the need, discussed at COP 22, for developed countries to increase their level of funding by defining a “road map” that shows how the $ 100 billion annual target will be achieved by 2020.

Researcher Geraldo José Silva Junior really is the kind of person who believes that less is often more. This is a concept that may very well sum up the line of study he has been carrying out over the last few years.

He is one of the scientific researchers at Fundecitrus, the Citrus Production Defense Fund, an entity based in Araraquara and funded by citrus growers and industries, and he is heading up a study that is looking to indicate the correct volumes of products that are to be used when spraying citrus groves. “Fundecitrus, in a partnership with the IAC (Agronomy Institute of Campinas), has been working to adjust spray mixture volumes for many years. The aim is to establish the ideal volumes for hitting both internal and external targets, and to apply this model to each disease and specific pest”, reveals the researcher. Establishing the right dose, which is capable of covering the necessary areas of trees with volumes that are suitable for the efficient control of pests and diseases and without generating waste, may make all the difference to the health of both the plantation and the pocket. “With this model we see a reduction in the amount of product and water used in the operation. There’s also a gain in the output of the machines that end up refueling less often. The result is a reduction of up to 50% in the cost of the application in the case of Pinta Preta [Citrus Black Spot]”, he says. According to the researcher, generally speaking Brazilian citrus production still uses volumes of spray mixture that are larger than is necessary, and despite what many people think, this unnecessary amount of product does not guarantee greater efficiency. “The producer is often using greater or lesser amounts than is necessary and in both cases he ends up leaving points on the trees unprotected, which is going to increase the rate of disease”, he explains.

In order to arrive at the right dose a series of field studies is carried out. In this way the volumes that will be used on different citrus groves are established. Spraying is carried out with a conventional sprayer, as used by citrus growers. Samples of the leaves in that area are then collected and they will subsequently be analyzed in the laboratory to evaluate how much of the product was deposited on these leaves.

“Based on this the minimum volume sufficient for maintaining the product active on the tree is established”, he says. Another methodology used involves the use of hydro-sensitive paper, which changes from yellow to blue when it becomes wet. These papers are placed on the internal and external areas of the tops of the trees. The papers are then analyzed with the help of a scanner to measure the area that was sprayed and an assessment is made as to whether the product is reaching where it should and if it is in sufficient quantities for providing efficient protection. “We also assess each disease and pest in the field. We need to know how much the disease is occurring in the citrus groves depending on the different volumes applied. With this information we reach the conclusion that for a particular disease or pest we need a greater or lesser volume of product”, Junior points out.

In addition to offering gains in efficiency and financial savings, the model also generates environmental benefits for the properties. “One of the objectives of this research is to provide the producer with efficient control while using the least amount of product necessary. This is reflected in savings in the use of water and reduces the risk of soil contamination. So it leads to a more sustainable production, not just economically but environmentally too”, says the researcher. He guarantees that this model can be a good tool for citrus-growers.

“Today we have many already published results that producers can use. What we recommend is that they apply these volumes over a smaller area of the citrus grove to check if it works and then repeat the results in the rest of the grove”, he concludes.