On 28th January 2020, was held in the selected lot chosen in Laguna Naick-Neck, Formosa, Argentina, the first “HLB disease and citrus blackfly” workshop . It is the first workshop under the HLB vector control project in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Headed by Lic. Pilar Ortega, from the IPAF Region NEA – INTA Argentina, and by the Agr. Eng. Andrea Rodríguez, from SENASA, about twenty assistants took part.
First, Pilar Ortega presented project activities, planned for the next three years (project scope). She also provided with data on national and provincial citrus production; reasons for choosing, Pedro Bondaruk a local farmer´s lot, were socialized and farmers were invited to “consider it as their own”. Then a Q&A round took place.
Andrea Rodríguez commented HLB current situation at local level, how to identify symptoms/ presence of this disease as well as regulations and contingency plans designed by SENASA
Farmers were interested in knowing how to engage when symptoms pop up on their own farms, obtaining new certified disease-free plants and general handling.
Then, farmers had a tour and got in touch with citrus blackfly or Aleurocanthus woglumi, which was the second objective of the workshop.
Likewise, they were able to observe the insect in different stages of evolution, potential damages, and got to know some usefull natural enemies present in the environment.
Finally, different available control methods, damage thresholds and guidelines for the implementation of Integrated Pest and Disease Management (MIP in Spanish) in the selected lot.
