Pesticides in citrus farming

Abstract

In 2009 there was a 7.7% increase in sales of pesticides compared to the previous year, totaling 725,577 tons of commercial product, equivalent to the marketing of 335,816 tons of active ingredient. Of this total, 4.2% of sales of commercial products, equivalent to 5.7% of the active ingredients, were consumed by the citrus sector, accounting for a total of R$ 201 million (Graph 22). From 2008 to 2009, the sector reduced the consumption of pesticides by just over 20% (Graph 23). Of the classes of pesticides, acaricides are most prominently used in citrus farming (representing 1.7% of sales in the pesticide sector in 2009), accounting for 88% of the overall value traded in 2009. Out of the total quantity of active ingredient consumed by the citrus industry, acaricides represent 39%, followed by foliar insecticides at 29%, and foliar-application fungicides at 14%. These three classes accounted for 55% of spending on pesticides in the citrus sector. The growing pressure of citrus greening and CVC has increased the consumption of citrus pesticides exponentially and from 2003 to the present day there has been an increase of around 600%. In 2009, the citrus sector was the second most intensive crop in the use of pesticides. In all, 17.5 kg/ha of active ingredient were applied, of which 6.8 kg/hectare were acaricides and Graph 22. Share of crops in consumption of pesticides in Brazil-2009. Source: prepared by Markestrat based on SINDAG. Active ingredient Commercial products Soybean Corn Sugarcane Cotton Coffee Citrus Others 15.6% 4.2% 3.5% 6.4% 13.6% 50.2% 6.6% 49.3% 5.7% 2.9% 6.5% 7.4% 13.5% 14.7% et al. (eds.),