farmers and peasants del Cesar adopt sanitary measures to prevent the HLB battery, transmitted by a vector that attacks citrus.
Technical assistance is led by the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), since this disease is considered devastating for citrus.
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“The fruits most affected by this disease are tangerines, lemons, grapefruits and oranges. There is also thickening and elongation of the ribs in the leaves, in the fruits there is no uniform maturation”, explained Luis Armando Castro, manager of the ICA, Cesar regional.
Chimichagua and Astrea, among the affected regions
We found a tree affected by the bacteria, which was cut down immediately. The spread of the disease could be rapid…
In municipalities in the north of the department, such as Chimichagua and Astrea, there are more than 2,000 hectares cultivated with citrus. This represents most of the economy of approximately 800 farmers in this region.
One of the cases of HLB occurred in Chimichagua, which was detected through samples carried out by the ICA.
“We found a tree affected by the bacteria, which was cut down immediately. The spread of the disease could be rapid, it can be moved from one place to another. This case merits an action plan, since Chimichagua is the most important citrus area in Cesar,” the official stressed.
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Several inter-institutional strategies have been established in the department to deal with this bacterium and the insect vector, with the participation of ICA professionals and officials from the departmental agriculture secretariat.
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The name Yellow Dragon comes from the Chinese, because yellow buds can be seen on one of the branches of the tree.
The plan contemplates crop monitoring, sampling, spraying directed at the insect vector, integrated management of the same. It also contemplates the identification and elimination of plants affected by the bacteria (according to laboratory diagnosis), preventive measures for the production and distribution of citrus plant material.
“We have been holding workshops in these areas. We take a sample of plant tissue, possibly from the vector, to identify it through the laboratory. Next week there will be a new meeting in Chimichagua with several actors, where we will report on the progress of this strategy. Once in the field, we can determine the areas and number of affected plantations”, explained José Emilio Osorio, Departmental Secretary of Agriculture.
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Citrus HLB is associated with the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CaLas). It is also known as the Yellow Dragon, an infectious agent that maximizes bitterness in citrus fruits and causes fruit deformation.
“The name of the Yellow Dragon comes from the Chinese, because yellow buds can be seen on one of the branches of the tree,” Castro stressed.
The first report of this disease in the country was made in La Guajira in March 2016. As of this date, it has been distributed in other departments such as Atlántico, Magdalena, César, Bolívar and Norte de Santander.
Ludys Ovalle Jacome
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