The arrival of new shoots in orange groves, which takes place in the second half of the year, marks a critical period for citrus growers in the citrus belt. This phase, which runs from July to October, accounts for between 50 % and 80 % of annual shoots, depending on the region. The process intensifies with the onset of rainfall, requiring stricter control of the psyllid — an insect that feeds on the shoots and transmits the bacterium that causes citrus greening. Data from the Alerta Psilídeo platform show a 55 % increase in the number of shoots in the second half of July compared with the first half.

This stage of plant development is particularly delicate, as new shoots are highly vulnerable to psyllid attack. Fundecitrus researcher Juan Camilo Cifuentes Arenas highlights the importance of strengthening phytosanitary measures, especially spraying, until the leaves are more developed and less susceptible.

“These shoots are the most favorable for the psyllid to feed on and, above all, to transmit the greening bacterium. That is why more than 50 % of psyllid captures occur during this period. The greater the budding, the more food is available — and the higher the incidence of the insect,” explains Arenas.

According to the platform, psyllid captures in traps increased by 10 % in the second half of July compared with the previous fortnight.

Diseased Plants: More budding, greater risk

The researcher also draws attention to the different behavior of infected plants.

“Because of greening, they tend to sprout in much greater numbers and up to two months earlier than healthy plants, which increases the chances of infection and the spread of the disease. This is why the moment calls for constant vigilance from growers and stricter management strategies,” Arenas stresses.

Scource: Fundecitrus

Hurricane Irma, which hit Florida on September 10, should damage the local citrus groves. Since it reached a wide area, all citrus producing regions should be affected, mainly central and southwestern state.
In an interview for ABC News, the executive director of the Florida Citrus Department, Shannon Stepp, said that production was likely to surpass 75 million boxes, as estimated by Elizabeth Steger before the hurricane hit. Now, the director expects numbers to decrease sharply.

There are no official estimates regarding the damages caused by Irma hurricane yet, but the press has reported damages between 10 % and 80 %, depending on the area and the variety. The press has also released reports from local growers estimating damages at 1.2 billion USD to the agricultural production, including citrus, sugarcane, tomatoes, green beans, cucumber and others. Besides, fruits and trees drops were observed, as well as floods in citrus groves from Florida.

ORANGE JUICE – At the New York Exchange Stock (ICE Futures), the future contracts of Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (FCOJ) due in November/17 increased in the second week of September, with the announcement of hurricane Irma by the United States. Thus, between September 5 and 12, values rose 19.12 %, averaging 2,191.59 USD per ton.

In this scenario, citrus growers from all over the world are focused on the impacts of Irma hurricane on global demand for orange juice. For Brazil, that scenario would only reinforce the need of importation from the United States, since inventories from North-American processors are low. Therefore, a larger crop in the citrus belt from São Paulo may help Brazil to meet that demand.

According to the last report from Fundecitrus (Citrus Defense Fund), released on September 11, the 2017/18 crop was estimated at 374.06 million 40.8-kilo boxes in São Paulo and Triângulo Mineiro. That volume is 2.63 % larger than that first estimated in May, and 52.5 % higher than that in the previous season (2016/17), which ended with 245.3 million boxes. This inventory increase was favored by rains in the first semester (April to June/17), which boosted fruits growth, mainly for the early fruits, whose harvest had reached 75 % of the total area in mid-July.