Pérdidas en Producción inducidas por Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus en Limón Persa, en Yucatán México Yield loss caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus in Persian lime, in Yucatan Mexico

The aim of this study was to estimate yield losses induced by the agent associated with Huanglongbing, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) in Persian lime (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) in Mexico, by evaluating morphological and organoleptic fruit variables. A four-year old Persian lime orchard in the state of Yucatan, Mexico, was selected; the trees were under same disease management and infection; this feature was verified by qPCR. The study was conducted under four severity levels (0=healthy, 1=25, 2=50, 3=75, 4=100, percentage of canopy with HLB symptoms). Eight morphological and organoleptic variables were evaluated in a restricted random block design with healthy and CLas infected trees. The values of weight, size, skin thickness, juice volume (JV) and pH were statistically higher in fruits from healthy trees as well as in asymptomatic branches of positive trees, in comparison with symptomatic branches (Tukey, P=0.05). CLas induced reduction on weight (17.3 %) and JV (18.6 %), with more damage in trees showing 100 % of canopy with HLB symptoms; the regression models were: Y weight = 217.2-4.2x+0.03x 2 , R 2 = 0.86; Y volume = 645.4-11.7x+0.09x 2 , R 2 = 0.82.