Pioneering study identifies the main diseases affecting macadamia in Brazil

Brazilian researchers have conducted the first comprehensive study on macadamia diseases in Brazil, identifying the main threats to the crop and proposing solutions for managing these diseases. The research, developed by Embrapa Meio Ambiente (SP), in partnership with the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) and the company QueenNut Macadâmia, analyzed samples collected in the municipality of Dois Córregos (SP) over a two-year period. The study revealed unprecedented data on the incidence of diseases and their respective causal agents. The research identified the following diseases as the most harmful to macadamia: blight of the racemes, trunk rot, anthracnose in the fruits and leaf spot. According to Bernardo Halfeld, a researcher at Embrapa, the study began in August 2018, with the aim of understanding the diseases that were affecting the crop and adopting the best practices for control and prevention. Until now, references to these diseases were based on reports from other ...