The importance of Integrated Pest Management to flatten the huanglongbing (HLB) curve and limit its vector, the Asian citrus psyllid

Author(s)

Garcia, Adriano G. ; Jamielniak, Josemeri A. ; Diniz, Alexandre J. F. ; Parra, Jose R. P.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ENTOMOLOGIA GENERALIS; v. 42, n. 3, p. 11-pg., 2022-01-01.

Abstract

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a disease of citrus trees that devastates production areas. Current strategies focus on control of the psyllid Diaphorina citri, the main insect vector that transmits the disease. Although insecticides are a com-mon control method, continuous use threatens the environment and human health, and does not eliminate inoculum sources outside the commercial areas. Several strategies have been proposed to manage HLB in these non-commercial areas: i) biological control with the parasitoid wasp Tamarixia radiata together with ii) eradication of inoculum sources. Here, we developed a computational model to simulate a landscape composed of commercial and non-commercial areas, which were managed differently. Inside the commercial area (farm), we simulated the effect of chemical control on insect populations; outside, we simulated the effect of external management comprised of biological control with T. radiata and elimination of infected trees. Our model indicated that strategies applied externally are essential to flatten the HLB curve, since we dem-onstrated that the total number of infected trees is more sensitive to these strategies. When combined with chemical control inside the commercial areas, external management in non-commercial areas resulted in an additional reduction of more than 10% in the total number of infected trees compared to a scenario without external management. Although chemical control is not able to protect farm borders, an approach that combines chemical control and external management was able to protect most trees within the commercial area, including the border. Our model opens broad prospects for future studies and alerts growers to the need to consider using external management to aid in controlling HLB. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/02317-5 - Center for Excellence in Biological Control
• Grantee: José Roberto Postali Parra
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Centers in Engineering Program
• FAPESP's process: 19/26071-8 - Computational modeling of tritrophic interactions in biological pest control
• Grantee: Adriano Gomes Garcia
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral