Rural producer Viviane Marques came across an intriguing situation: some of her lemons had an unusual appearance, being born with deformations that made them look “alien”. This curious change in the shape of the fruits raised questions from the farmer, who sought to understand the origin of the phenomenon.
The explanation for the problem came from agronomist Chukichi Kurozawa, who identified the cause as an attack by mites. According to the expert, the lemon tree was affected by the “gem mite”, responsible for the anomalies in the fruits.
In places where the mite operates, the plant’s branches develop atypical shoots, and the lemons acquire a distorted shape. Despite the different appearance, the fruits do not lose their consuming capacity, although the amount of juice may be reduced compared to normal lemons.
To control the infestation of these mites on lemon trees, one of the available solutions is the application of neem oil. This method is recommended for combating the pest, helping to restore normal fruit development.
