Lobesia 2014 Program: Could not contain the population of the Moth of the Vine in the O'Higgins Region
May is a key month for SAG's phytosanitary campaign against Lobesia botrana, better known as Vine Moth, a pest that wreaks havoc on different fruit trees. After an alarming increase in the number of insects and hectares affected by this insect during 2013, the Ministry of Agriculture, through SAG, implemented an aggressive campaign to contain the advance of Lobesia last year. To this end, in the specific case of the O'Higgins Region, the number of hectares included in the phytosanitary program was doubled, increasing them from 10 to 20, to which was also added a greater number of monitoring instruments at the rural level and urban with the placement of 8.200 traps that captured the species in each of its three flights. At the same time, an increase in audits was implemented, a joint effort with producers in the scheduling of chemical product applications, and especially the incorporation of blueberry and plum producers who were strongly affected by the plague in 2013.
Marcela Idalsoaga is the head of the program Lobesia botrana of the SAG in the Sixth Region. At the time of the balance sheets explains that in the field of communication the campaign of the last season was successful: "We had no less of a challenge when we integrated plum and blueberry growers who did not know the program as vine growers, which played a bit against us because we had to reach out to small growers who sometimes have problems accessing the information, either to the web pages of the Service or information via email, that issue cost a bit, but finally we were able to integrate these two new hosts".
However, the containment of the plague, which was the main objective of SAG for the last season in the O'Higgins Region could not be achieved: “If one speaks in terms of catches, it was a difficult season, we had an increase in the populations of lobesia botrana in the country, which were very important. There was an increase in total catches, not only in the Region, in general it is a cross-sectional situation at the country level, with the exception perhaps of the Metropolitan Region, there we had greater control of Lobesia for which the use of confusion was key sexual".
Idalsoaga details how it is that the use of sexual confounders was key in the contention in properties of Santiago and also of the Sixth Region. "In the Metropolitan Region there were nuances because they achieved a 'control' of the captures because they used sexual confusion, but it is a region with less surface than ours, therefore the confounders that they installed could contain the plague. If you make an analysis in relation to the orchards that implemented this technique in O'Higgins the capture results were super good, in those orchards we lowered 98% of the captures, not so in those that used chemical products, but the problem is that this is not a cheap tool, and in O'Higgins we have to implement it on many more hectares. In 2014 we were able to cover 5.600 hectares of sexual confusion here, only 10% of the affected area".
In this context, the Agricultural and Livestock Service will bet this year its cards for the implementation of sexual confounders, a high-cost technology (at least 400 dollars per hectare) through state co-financing. "This issue is already known to the private sector and on Monday, May 25, we have a meeting between the SAG and the representatives of the unions where it should be settled in a more official way. It is very important that it can be implemented because the main pillar of control to date has been with agrochemicals or insecticides and if we analyze the figures, they have not given a satisfactory answer. We believe that the solution, at least in the medium term, is through the use of sexual confusers in terms of first stopping the plague and trying to reverse the plague in at least some areas.", Marcela Idalsoaga.
UVANOVA: "We need vine producers to be aligned with the program"
Martin Silva is director of Uvanova, a committee created last year that brings together the main table grape producers in the country. The professional, advisor to dozens of producers of this fruit in the O'Higgins Region assures that they had high expectations in the 2014 program, however its results left them concerned. Silva explains that one of the main problems is the lack of commitment to the program of grape producers destined for the production of wine. "This plague came to the country through the wine vine, when the plague arrived the most important problem was registered in the wine vine. The wine companies at first were concerned about the issue but then when the SAG program began they stopped working on the control systems until today. For the programs against Lobesia to work, it is necessary to have a couple law that forces all those involved to implement the control systems, we must all be aligned in the same sense".
Silva assures that this plague, which profoundly affects the sale of table grapes, blueberries and plums abroad, must have greater control, sanction and investment systems from the State. The expert recognizes that sexual confounders are extremely effective in dealing withLobesia botrana but that its high cost is key for the State to do its part. "It can not be that more taxes are collected for some problems, but not for those that affect a key sector of the economy such as agriculture that employs so many people. Producers can not cover such an important investment that is why we need co-financing to use this technology, in Spain it is used profusely but with a strong investment from the State, if this co-financing is achieved in Chile it would be a big step".
On the other hand Carolina Cruz, adviser of the sector and part of the directory of Uvanova referred specifically to the use of chemical products in the combat to the Lobesia botrana. According to the expert, the lack of effectiveness of these products is more due to a lack of knowledge of their correct use. "This is a big problem, fields that were supposed to be controlled through the use of chemical applications were left out of the Asian market this year by Lobesia botrana. More finished studies of the products are urgently needed, sometimes a molecule can change its effects if applied in one day or another, chemical control is effective, it is used in other places like Europe but it is not something easy, it is difficult be precise in its use".
Likewise, Cruz shares with the SAG that the properties that used sexual confusers could attack the plague better, "Within the orchards that I advise, those who had this technology had no problems, not so those who used chemical products where there were problems due to the moth population, but I insist this is a new plague, which we have been getting to know along the way, and that we need more study", Says the agronomist.
Sexual confusers are hope
They look like a simple red wire wound around one of the trunks of the plant or vine, but this simple-looking technology could be key when the country controls one of the most damaging pests in history.
How do they work? The sexual confusers emit pheromones in a controlled way that are taken up by the males of the Vine Moth. The males are attracted by these hormones, they feel confused and fly aimlessly, this prevents them from finding and fertilizing the females, automatically reducing the population of these insects.
Source: El Rancaguino
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