Strategies for the integrated management of the Texas citrus mite (Eutetranychus banksi): an emerging pest in the Brazilian citrus belt.

• Grant number: 25/00223-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Júnior de Andrade
• Grantee: Paulo Henrique Pinto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Citrus farming is of significant economic importance to Brazil, the world's largest producer and exporter of oranges. However, the sector has several phytosanitary problems, with emphasis on the disease Huanglongbing (HLB) or Greening, considered the most destructive to citrus plants. HLB management primarily relies on repeated applications of chemical insecticides to control the insect vector. However, the continuous use of insecticides in orchards can lead to several negative consequences, such as the resurgence of secondary pests. In this context, outbreaks of tetranychid mites have become frequent in several groves across the citrus belt. Recent surveys have shown that the Texas citrus mite, Eutetranychus banksi, is widespread throughout the state of São Paulo. This species has reached high population levels, resulting in significant socioeconomic losses. To date, no studies have been conducted on the management of this species in orchards within the Brazilian citrus belt. The general objective of this project is to evaluate integrated management strategies for controlling the Texas citrus mite E. banksi, with a focus on adopting more sustainable and efficient practices from both technical and economic perspectives. Initially, two populations of E. banksi will be collected from commercial orchards in the state of São Paulo and maintained in the laboratory. Experiments will be conducted in greenhouses to investigate the integration of chemical control methods (with a more sustainable approach) and biological control. The treatments to be evaluated will include biological products based on entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps fumosorosea) and the natural product oxymatrine, extracted from the plant Sophora flavescens. In addition to the individual application of the products, their integration will also be investigated. If the results obtained under semi-field conditions are positive, the treatments will be replicated in the field with the goal of contributing to a more sustainable management of this pest mite species.