Articles
CHEMICAL CONTROL OF RADOPHOLUS SIMILIS (COBB) AND COSMOPOLITES SORDIDUS GERMAR WITH ALDICARB AND ALDRIN IN A BANANA PLANTATION, VARIETY ISLA, IN TINGO MARIA, PERU
The infestations by these pests frequently reduce the yields by 40% to 60% and also the productive life of the plantations.
For example, severe infestations may shorten the productive life to only 3 or 4 years from the normal 15 to 25 years.
The insect is commonly controlled with aldrin 2.5% D spread on the soil around the base of the mats.
However, this treatment seems to be losing efficacy in recent years, presumably due to the acquisition of resistance by the insect.
Nematode control is very rare in the Selva because most farmers are not aware of their significance.
The objective of this experiment was to test the effectiveness of aldicarb (common name of the active ingredient of the pesticide TEMIK) against both nematodes and black weevils.
The study was conducted in a commercial banana plantation of the variety Isla at Aucayacu, 60 km north of Tingo Maria, Department of Huanuco, Peru.
Six treatments were compared in the test: 4 rates of 10% granular aldicarb (TEMIK 10G) — 12. 5, 25. 0, 37. 5, and 75. 0 gr of commercial product per mat; aldrin 2. 5% D at 90 gr per mat as a treated check; and an untreated check.
After weeding and cleaning the plantation, the chemical treatments were applied directly to the soil around the base of the mats.
Aldicarb was lightly incorporated into the soil with a rake.
The treatments were applied twice with a 7-month interval between applications (April 16 and November 16, 1974). The experiment was run in a randomized block design with 4 replicates.
Observations included periodic evaluations of infestations, damages, and yields.
Residue analyses were perfomed on fruit samples collected at harvest time.
Infestations and damages by the banana black weevil and nematodes were evaluated by comparison with a visual scale from grade 0 to 6 and by direct counts of black weevil larvae infestations in the corm or rhizome at harvest time.
Yields (weight and number of fingers per bunch) were measured biweekly.