Spain: Alert to the possible presence of a new virulent thrips in citrus and persimmon

Published 2024년 5월 31일

Tridge summary

The Unió de Llauradora has reported a severe infestation of Scirtotrhrips aurantii, a harmful thrips originally from Africa and Yemen, in citrus crops in southern Alicante, with potential impact in persimmon crops in the Ribera region. This pest, which was first detected in Spain in November 2020, has spread across Seville, Huelva, and southern Portugal, thanks to favorable winter temperatures and humidity. LA Unió is calling for the Department of Agriculture to confirm the infestation and implement the necessary pest management measures. They also urge the Ministry of Agriculture to strengthen border controls to prevent further pest introductions through increased citrus imports. This situation underscores the need for enhanced border surveillance, selective import protocols, and greater resource allocation to health departments to safeguard European citrus farming from pest threats and the environmental repercussions of dependent imports.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The Unió de Llauradora has detected an unusual and strong attack of a thrips in citrus crops in the south of Alicante and that, given its virulence, could be Scirtotrhrips aurantii, which comes from Africa and Yemen and has been present in Spain since it was detected. in November 2020 in the province of Huelva. There are also suspicions of infestation of this new thrips in persimmon cultivation in the Ribera region. This year's winter temperatures, warm for the season, have favored, together with sufficient relative humidity, the development and dispersion of Scirtothrips aurantii, in production areas of Seville, Huelva and southern Portugal. Now, it remains to be certified whether it has also reached the Valencian Community. LA UNIÓ has already requested the Department of Agriculture, after requests from several of its associates who observe the damage to its fruits, to carry out the appropriate surveys on citrus and persimmon to verify if it is this Thrips in order to begin the ...

Source: Agrodigital