New technology: online lobesia alert system will allow farmers to establish effective and timely control
Entomologist Patricia Estay, stressed the importance of generating information control pests entering our country, noting that "each has a behavior that is not always governed by the information found in scientific documents or other international information."
“Research is the key to addressing pests,” as summarized by former INIA researcher Patricia Estay, the work fund that is being developed at the institution to control various pests in the country. Alert systems, biological control, biopesticides and even drones are among the options that the farmer has today to keep his production of the Lobesia Botrana safe. However, today there is a software capable of predicting the presence of the moth in certain sectors and fighting it when it is in its most vulnerable stage. This information was disclosed in the project closing seminar. “Establishment and implementation of an alert platform for Lobesia Botrana”, which took place in Rancagua and was attended by authorities, agricultural professionals and farmers.
Some time ago, the SAG developed a national strategy for the control of Botanical Lobesia in Chile, in which INIA's contribution has been fundamental, providing studies and technical support to better understand this insect and thus develop various mitigation tools. The alert platform for Lobesia Botrana collects all the weather information from 247 monitoring stations distributed throughout the country. In this way, the software delivers online information on the minimum, maximum temperatures, degree accumulations - days, and allows to record all monitoring data, and then make a prediction - eight days in advance regarding the exact moment of application of pesticides This allows a better management of pests and a reduction in the use of insecticides when applied when the pest is most susceptible; in the case of Lobesia Botrana it is in the presence of eggs and neonatal larvae.
As indicated by the exhibitors, this model is available on the producer portal of the Phytosanitary Forecast Network of SAG and can be used not only for Lobesia Botrana, but also for all pests that have a social economic impact on our country.
Currently, there is a high incidence of pests present on productive fruit and vegetable gardens and Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is the quarantine pest present of greater importance nationwide. Therefore, it has been prioritized by the Ministry of Agriculture since its incidence has resulted in direct economic impacts due to effective losses on production and also indirect impacts due to trade restrictions generated by the strong phytosanitary requirements for the export of products to different markets. of destiny.
The “Establishment and Implementation of an Alert Platform for Lobesia botrana” project was executed by INIA within the framework of the National Strategic Program “Transforma Alimentos”, through the IFI Chile Frutícola integrated development initiative, financed by the Strategic Investment Fund (FIE ) of the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism.
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