One company has revealed to AgroPages the launch of the Fiera insecticide (buprofezin) as the flagship product of an innovative program for Diaphorina citri control.
This insect is the culprit behind 'greening,' a disease that affected almost 40% of Brazilian orchards in 2023, highlighting a significant increase in incidence that has mobilized researchers and the agrochemical industry. According to the manufacturer, the new Fiera has physiological growth-regulating properties for insects.
According to agronomist Marcelo Palazim, from the market development department, the active ingredient in the agrochemical is buprofezin, which acts on contact with the psyllid's nymphs (young stages). The company recommends initiating applications of this solution at the first signs of the insect's presence in the orchard.
In addition to Fiera, the program includes the acaricide Fujimite (fenpyroximate), which has just received regulatory approval for applications in Diaphorina citri control. The solution is already successfully used in citrus farming to control pests of high economic relevance, such as Brevipalpus phoenicis, and it has a mode of action by contact and ingestion.
According to the company's research department, in field evaluations at the Agronomic Institute (IAC), Fujimite achieved control rates of 80% to 100%. Regarding the new Fiera, the company emphasizes that the primary citrus experiment data will be released in the coming days after the completion of the final work.
A recent survey revealed that the intensification of treatments for Diaphorina citri control accounted for BRL 271 million, or 23% of the total pesticide market for this crop. Sales of products to contain the spread of the pest jumped by 42%, compared to BRL 191 million from the previous crop.
Data from Fundecitrus (Citrus Defense Fund) indicates that greening has grown by 56% in São Paulo alone. There are also reports of losses of up to BRL 3.5 million recorded due to the disease on certain farms.
"A more challenging disease year after year, greening has become the main concern of the citrus chain," adds Marcelo Palazim. "Currently, from a phytosanitary perspective, one of the main recommendations to citrus growers is to rotate products with different active ingredients," he concludes.
