A meeting was held at CREA-OFA in Acireale (CT) ahead of the regional event on Huanglongbing (HLB), considering the serious threat that is looming over Sicilian citrus fruit.
The bacteria in question, which causes the illness known as Citrus Greening, represents a serious threat for citrus fruit cultivation in Italy and Europe: that is why is it essential to involve Sicilian producers and the relevant bodies.
A moment during the meeting
The information campaign is already under way in Sicily, mainly through the distribution of hundreds of posters all over the territory where the groves are located by the parties involved with the coordination of Distretto Agrumi di Sicilia and the support of organizations Cia Sicilia, Confagricoltura Sicilia, Confcooperative Sicilia and FruitImprese Sicilia and the collaboration of Saaf (Department Agricultural Food Forest Sciences) at the University of Palermo, Di3A at the University of Catania, Crea, Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico della Sicilia, Copagri Sicilia, the Regional phytosanitary service against piracy, Federazione Ordini dei Dottori Agronomi e Dottori Forestali Sicilia, with the scientific material developed by PreHLB.
The event, planned for October 27th in Catania, thus aims at countering the spreading in Europe of this disease caused by Candidatus liberibacter bacteria and at implementing containment measures. Although no HLB bacteria has been detected in the EU yet, there is an actual risk due to the circulation of goods and people, and to the unregulated import of citrus fruit propagation material from countries where the disease is actually present.
HLB originated in South-East Asia and, in just over a decade, it has spread in various agricultural areas causing significant economic losses in China, the US and Brazil.
The survival and diffusion on a large scale of this bacteria is due to the presence of two vector insects: Trioza erytreae and Diaphorina citri. Both these insects have been reported in Europe, the Azores and the Canary Islands. Currently, only Trioza erytreae has been detected in the Iberian peninsula.
The organizers would like to thank those who attended and would like to make an appeal to the Councillor of Agriculture Sammartino, the Minister of Agricultural Policy Lollobrigida and Undersecretary D'Eramo, responsible for phytosanitary problems, to join their effort.
"The sensitivity and interest show by those who attended the event push us to work even harder to successfully face the challenge of he HLB bacteria and contribute to the safeguard of the Sicilian citrus fruit sector. We are hoping this journey can be shared by other citrus fruit cultivation areas in our country. We are making this effort to highlight a problem that is important for the whole chain."
For further information:
Distretto Agrumi di Sicilia
Federica Argentati
[email protected]
