Santa Elena farmers fearing for pest

Image. Expreso

The presence of the insect known as ‘Diaphorina citri’ in lemon trees, in the Cascol sector, in the area of the Velasco Ibarra dam (La Libertad county) keeps experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries (Magap) as well as citrus farmers of the peninsular sector concerned.

This pest can transmit the Candidatus Liberibacter bacteria (Asiaticus americanus africanus), which causes the Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, which devastates citrus crops; this disease is originally from Asian countries.

Source: http://expreso.ec/actualidad/agricultores-de-santa-elena-temen-por-plaga-EN84962