Population estimate of the Asian citrus psyllid and geographical distribution of Tamarixia radiata as a biological control agent in backyard areas in El Salvador

Abstract

This  research  was  carried  out  at  a  national  level  specifically  in  backyard  areas,  selecting  attractive  hosts  associated  with  the  feeding  of  Diaphorina  citri.  For  this,  a  list  of  hosts  was  defined  based  on  their  sprouting  frequency  and  distribution  nationwide,  mainly  in  backyard  areas.  Field  visits  were  carried  out  between  April  and  October  2019.  The  objective  of  the  research  was  to  estimate  the  population  of  the  Asian  citrus  psyllid  and  the  geographical distribution of the parasitoid Tamarixia radiata as a biological control agent in backyard areas in El Salvador. The field visits were carried out in the three main regions of the country; this  required  the  establishment  of  exploration  and  sampling  routes  on  the  three  main  roads  of  the  country.  In  inspections  of  backyard  trees  it  was  necessary  to  consider  the  frequency  of  sprouting.  The  recognition  and  counting  of  PAC  specimens  per  tree  was  carried  out  using  20X  entomological  magnifying  glasses.  For  this  purpose,  15  cm  long  shoots  were  inspected,  field  data  were  recorded  using  forms  and  parasitoid  specimens  were  identified.  by  the  MAG  laboratory.  Finally,  this  research  aims to generate valuable information to the relevant institutions, regarding the integrated management of Diaphorina citri and the moment  in  which  preventive  actions  or  control  measures  can  be taken in order to reduce the potential risks of Huanglongbing (HLB) of citrus fruits.