A comprehensive analysis of the Asiatic citrus canker eradication programme in São Paulo state, Brazil, from 1999 to 2009

Asiatic citrus canker (ACC), caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, has been controlled by exclusion and eradication measures in São Paulo state (SP), Brazil, since it was first detected in 1957. Several protocols of eradication have been used since then, but the protocol applied from 1999 to 2009 was the most successful and well documented of these. During that time, if the incidence of trees with symptoms in a citrus block was ≤0.5%, the infected trees and the symptomless trees within a 30 m radius were removed. However, if the incidence was >0.5%, the entire block was eliminated. Subsequently, inspections were carried out to monitor the affected blocks during quarantine. Although this protocol did not eliminate the disease from SP, it suppressed the incidence of affected blocks to very low annual levels (