Infestation dynamics of Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) in citrus orchards as affected by edaphic and climatic variables

Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) is a cosmopolitan and polyphagous mite that transmits important phytoviruses, such as coffee ringspot virus, passion fruit green spot virus and Citrus leprosis virus C. To characterise the dynamics of the probability and the rate of B. phoenicis infestation in response to edaphic and climatic factors, monthly inspections were performed in nine orchards in a citrus region of the State of Bahia, Brazil, for 35 months. Three fruits per plant were examined using a magnifying glass (10×) on 21 plants distributed along a “W”-shaped path in each orchard. Meteorological data were collected from a conventional station. To determine the correlations among the climatic variables, the data were analysed using Spearman correlations. Variables were selected by principal component analysis, and those that contributed the most to differentiate the groups were evaluated via a Mann–Whitney test. Using the quantile–quantile method, the limit values for the following climatic variables were determined: temperature (24.5 °C), photoperiod (12 h), relative humidity (83 %), evapotranspiration (71 mm) and rainy days (14 days). The combination of longer days, higher temperatures, lower relative humidity levels and lower evapotranspiration increased the probability of B. phoenicis infestation, whereas successive rain events decreased that risk. Infestation rates were negatively affected by relative humidity levels above 83 % and were positively affected by a decreasing available soil–water fraction and increasing insolation and photoperiod.