Key pests and diseases of citrus trees with emphasis on root rot diseases: An overview
Manal Jaouad, Alieu Moinina, Said Ezrari, Rachid Lahlali
Abstract
Citrus fruits are among the most consumed fruits in the world. However, the world production of citrus fruits is faced with several constraints which hinder its development. Furthermore, the spread of pests such as mealybugs, mites and Mediterranean fruit fly has impacted negatively on citrus quality and yield. Therefore, the main objectives of this review were to identify the key harmful organisms to the citrus crops and to highlight the appropriate methods to manage them. In this paper, more attention was given to root rot and dry root rot diseases caused by Phytophthora spp. and Fusarium spp., respectively. It was concluded that the control of citrus pests was relied on the use of chemicals. The use of integrated orchard management methods remains the best practice to minimize the adverse effects of pesticides on the environment. Two fungicides, Fosetyl-Al and Metalaxyl, were widely curatively used to control Phytophthora root rot. Moreover, the control of dry root rot disease due to Fusarium spp. requires the optimization of irrigation and fertilization inputs. In addition to the use of sanitation practices, scouting and monitoring the appearance and development of key pests and diseases help to strengthen the control methods and reduce the use of pesticides. Keywords: Citrus, pests and diseases, root rot, Phytophthora spp., Fusarium spp., integrated pest management strategy, Morocco