Applied research center in inovation and sustainability of Citriculture

• Grant number: 24/10713-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Applied Research Centers Program
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Lilian Amorim
• Grantee: Lilian Amorim
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Piracicaba
• Principal investigators: Antonio Vargas de Oliveira Figueira ; Armando Bergamin Filho ; Beatriz Appezzato da Glória ; Carlos Henrique Tomich de Paula da Silva ; Eduardo Augusto Girardi ; Franklin Behlau ; Geraldo José da Silva Junior ; Haroldo Xavier Linhares Volpe ; Joao Roberto Spotti Lopes ; Luis Eduardo Aranha Camargo ; Marcelo Pedreira de Miranda ; Maria Teresa Marques Novo Mansur ; Nelson Arno Wulff ; Renato Beozzo Bassanezi ; Taicia Pacheco Fill
• Associated researchers: Alberto Fereres Castiel ; Alécio Souza Moreira ; Alessandro de Mello Varani ; Aline Sartori Guidolin ; Amit Levy ; Andrea Soares da Costa Fuentes ; Andréia Cristina de Oliveira Adami ; Arthur Fernando Tomaseto ; Barbara Hufnagel ; Celso Omoto ; CHOAA AMINE EL-MOHTAR ; Daniel de Castro Victoria ; Daniel Scherer de Moura ; Daniela Kharfan ; Dirceu de Mattos Junior ; Douglas Silva Domingues ; Eliane Cristina Locali ; Elliot Watanabe Kitajima ; Fabio Ricardo Marin ; Fabio Tebaldi Silveira Nogueira ; Fernando Alves de Azevedo ; Fernando Javier Sanhueza Salas ; Fernando Luis Cônsoli ; Francisco Ferraz Laranjeira Barbosa ; Francisco José Lima Aragão ; Henrique Ferreira ; Italo Delalibera Júnior ; Jaqueline Franciosi Della Vechia ; Jesus Aparecido Ferro ; João Paulo Rodrigues Marques ; José Antonio Alberto da Silva ; José Maurício Simões Bento ; JUAN CAMILO CIFUENTES ARENAS ; Kleber Xavier Sampaio de Souza ; Leandro Antonio Peña Garcia ; Mariângela Cristofani-Yaly ; Marinês Bastianel ; Michele do Carmo de Sousa Timossi ; Moacir Rossi Forim ; Mônica Neli Alves ; Paulo José Pereira Lima Teixeira ; Pedro Takao Yamamoto ; Rafael Vasconcelos Ribeiro ; Rodrigo Facchini Magnani ; Rodrigo Marcelli Boaretto ; Sílvia Helena Galvão de Miranda ; Sílvio Aparecido Lopes ; Sônia Ternes ; Wellington Ivo Eduardo

Abstract

São Paulo's citrus industry is the most advanced in the world in terms of productivity, fruit and orange juice quality, research and development, technology transfer and sustainability. The productive strength of this important agribusiness chain in São Paulo results in significant economic, social and environmental values. However, the competitiveness and economic, social and environmental benefits of the citrus production chain are under threat from phytosanitary problems that affect the crop. This Applied Research Center aims to develop innovative and sustainable measures for the management of citrus diseases and pests. Its initial focus will be on understanding and controlling Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), the most devastating and feared citrus disease in the world. The incidence of this disease in the São Paulo citrus belt increased from 0.6% of symptomatic trees in 2008 to 38.1% in 2023, with a consequent increase in the risk of citrus production. The progressive increase in the disease, especially after 2020, is mainly due to the increase in the inoculum (presence of infected trees in the field) and the vector, due to cultural practices and resistance to insecticides. There are currently no therapeutic measures to control the disease, nor resistant cultivars. The CPA will work on three main thematic branches of research: one academic, involving the understanding of pathogen-plant-vector interactions, and two applied, involving the control of the bacteria and its vector and damage mitigation measures. Academic research will address aspects of the physiology and biochemistry of diseased plants, histopathology, genetics of the plant-pathogen-vector interaction and the effect of climate change on this interaction. Part of these studies will guide the discovery of new control methods. Even so, concomitantly with academic research, new disease management tools will also be developed and evaluated, with the production of citrus cultivars modified by gene-editing and transgenics, application of promising physical, chemical and biological agents, innovative technologies for formulating and applying products, such as nanoparticles distributed by unmanned vehicles, damage and economic loss mitigation measures, with modifications in crop management and modeling of future damage in new and traditional cultivation areas. This research task force will include 75 researchers from national and foreign institutions. The research results will be transferred to the citrus sector with the support of Fundecitrus and the Department of Agriculture of the State of São Paulo. Educational actions at all levels of knowledge will be carried out by members of the Center in different municipalities in the State of São Paulo. (AU)