Journal of Citrus Pathology

Huanglongbing (HLB) is found in South/Southeastern states of Brazil, but citrus is grown all over the country. For that reason, surveillance procedures should be carried out frequently and contingency plans developed. This study reports the actions of the State Bureau of Agricultural Defense of Bahia (ADAB), for a commercial orchard in Bom Jesus da Lapa (state of Bahia, Northeastern Brazil) suspected of having HLB symptomatic plants. Besides having a Contingency Plan, a protocol that establishes actions to detect and eradicate the disease, ADAB is also a partner of the collaborative network HLB BioMath. In August 2012, an ADAB team inspected 22 hectares of three year old orchards of both Pêra sweet orange and Ponkan mandarin. Scouting was performed on total area, and 4.5% of the plants were marked as having HLB-like symptoms. Samples were tested with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by the Phytopathological Clinic of Sylvio Moreira Citrus Center. The results were negative for HLB bacterium, but a Phytoplasma of 16SrIX Group was found. All symptomatic plants will be eliminated and the surveillance area will be extended. Despite this finding, Bom Jesus da Lapa is 700km away from the most important citrus regions in Bahia: Reconcavo and Litoral Norte. In those regions no suspected plant was ever reported.