Control practices for Spodoptera frugiperda in corn in Brazil
Brazil
Fertilizer supply totaled 14.2 million tonnes from January to May this year, a drop of 1.8% compared to the same period last year. May supply totaled 3.26 million tonnes, a drop of 10.1% compared to last year. (ANDA)
The Port of Itaqui, State of Maranhão, reached its highest historical volume of cargo turnover in July: 3.7 million tonnes. The turnover of solid bulk and fertilizers stood out, with an increase of 44.9%, totaling 478,228 tonnes. (Port of Itaqui)
The Institute of Environment of Mato Grosso do Sul has refuted a report indicating the presence of pesticides simazine, thiamethoxam, fipronil and carbendazim in the Formoso River Basin, State of Tocantins. The institute said it found inconsistencies in the study and “reinforces that, although some points show traces of pesticides, the quantities are so low that they do not pose a risk to the health of the population and tourists in Bonito (State of Mato Grosso do Sul)”. (Imasul)
The Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program in Food is being implemented in the State of Espírito Santo to carry out food inspections in the state. “One of the project’s work fronts aims to strengthen the traceability of fruits and vegetables in establishments in the State of Espírito Santo, through the standardization and intensification of inspection actions. Traceability has been a requirement in the state since the end of 2017, which allows for guidance to be provided to the production chain based on nonconformities found in food”, said Aline Salvador, nutritionist and supervisor of the Health Surveillance Network Qualification Program. (Government of the State of Espírito Santo)
According to Flavio Hirata, partner at the consulting firm AllierBrasil, between 2019 and 2023, 2,737 phytosanitary products were approved, but 516 products were canceled in the same period. Cancellations represent 18.8% of approvals. In 2023, 555 pesticide registrations were approved, and 177 were canceled, which represents a record compared to the average of the previous 5 years, with an increase of 41.8% between 2019 and 2023. (AllierBrasil)
The cotton fallow period started on August 1st and will continue until September 30th in the State of São Paulo. The aim is to control the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis). “The objective of this practice is to eliminate and efficiently control the food source for the insects, consequently reducing the populations of this pest to maintain the health of the following season”, said Jucileia Wagatsuma, manager of the State Phytosanitary Surveillance Program of the Agricultural Defense Coordination (CDA). (Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply)
Defined new requirements for the import of melons from Chile. The cargos must present a Phytosanitary Certificate (CF), be free of soil or plant residues that may be infected by pests and be in new packaging. In addition, “the shipments will be inspected at the point of entry (Phytosanitary Inspection – IF), and a sample will be collected for phytosanitary analysis in official laboratories or those accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. (SDA)
MoA published on August 1st an act of deliberations on post-registration of pesticides, with 23 import authorizations, 4 product brand name changes, etc. (MAPA)
Ihara has invested approximately US$ 3,5 million in the construction of a factory in Sorocaba, State of São Paulo, to produce herbicides for pasture cultivation. “IHARA’s pipeline includes 15 new products to be launched in the coming years, focused on pasture. These include foliar insecticides and seed treatment, post-emergent and pre-emergent herbicides, including herbicides to manage invasive grasses, currently considered one of the greatest challenges, in addition to foliar fungicides for seed production fields, industrial seed treatment and various biological products”, said Michel Tomazela, the company’s Regional Marketing Manager. (Ihara)
In compliance with court decision, Anvisa approved toxicological evaluation of the pesticide profenofos 400 + cypermethrin 40 g/L EC (Cropchem). (Anvisa)
Research has identified control practices for Spodoptera frugiperda in corn for the Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems (ICLFS). It is pointed out that it is necessary to be attentive when planting corn with Brachiaria, as it is one of the main hosts of the pest. “The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy has proven to be more appropriate than the scheduled use of chemical insecticides. For the bioinsecticide Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), spraying should be carried out from the occurrence of damage of up to grade 2, by visual sampling, which means the presence of caterpillars smaller than 1 centimeter”, said the researcher Ivênio Oliveira. He reinforces that for effective control, in addition to using pheromone traps, it is necessary to “understand the monitoring steps and observe the decision-making moments for control, or not” as this “is the basis for IPM”. (Embrapa Maize and Sorghum)
Latin America
Researchers from Argentina have developed a bioinput using bacteria from Patagonia together with selenium nanoparticles. The technology is aimed at intensive cultivation of fruits and vegetables and aims to replace pesticides. (Ciefap; Ecolysium)
A study evaluates technologies that improve herbicide spraying efficiency in Argentina. The efficiency of each type of nozzle and environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity and wind, were evaluated. “In the case of XR nozzles, the increase in working pressure resulted in higher drift values compared to lower pressures,” said Gerardo Masia, researcher at the Institute of Rural Engineering (IIR) at INTA Castelar. In addition, he pointed out that TTI nozzles have less drift, suggesting that “droplet speed may have a greater influence than droplet size in reducing drift“. (INTA)
Mexican government intends to review the use of pesticides that are already banned in other countries, with a focus on glyphosate. “Talking to Julio Berdegué, who is the next secretary (of Agriculture), he showed me a series of products that are banned. For example, glyphosate is not necessarily banned in other places; on the other hand, there are other products that are already banned in other parts of the world, including the US, and that are still used in Mexico,” said Claudia Sheinbaum, the country’s president. She also emphasizes: “It is not just this particular product, but a review needs to be done.” (Government of Mexico)
More than half of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, has been contaminated by pesticides due to improper use. With around 12 municipalities and 70 varieties of agricultural crops, research is being carried out in the region on the use of organic waste in the soil. “We are talking about parts of plants, vegetables and microorganisms such as orange peels, watermelon waste, fruit peels such as lychee, among other organic waste, which we sometimes buy from fruit traders. In a small area of land, like an experimental field, we compost this waste and make a powder to add to the plants and soil”, said Juan Fernando González, researcher at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. The project is in the analysis phase, but it is expected to be applied to large field areas. (Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí)
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