Dear readers, as mentioned in previous publications, when planning strategies for pest control, it is necessary to know some aspects concerning the species of insect, plant or organisms to be controlled, among the aspects to be considered are the following:
- Type of plants (host) with which the pest has affinity.
- Tolerance to environmental factors.
- Tolerance to environmental factors.
- Geographical distribution.
- Responses to certain control alternatives. - Tolerance to environmental factors.
In this sense, a diagnosis should be made taking into account the criteria mentioned above with the intention of establishing possible alternatives for the control of the insect, pest or organism. On the other hand, if the field technician visits a farm cultivated with grassland species susceptible to attack by Spodoptera, it is necessary to inquire with the producer if in the areas surrounding the farm there have been infestations of corn budworm, in case he does not know the information, it should be investigated in nearby farms to implement preventive measures.
It is also recommended to keep records on the times of arrival of the pest to the crop, the population increase of the pest in relation to the phenological stages of the crop, rainfall periods, among other variables, these data are of interest to make the right decisions when selecting and applying control alternatives.
| Preventive control in pastures |
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- A preventive control that acts effectively is the biological control with Bacillus thuringiensis (wettable powder) at a rate of 0.5 - 0.75 kg /ha mixed with sufficient water, applying it when the period of greater incidence of the insect approaches and when there is the presence of small larvae, the mixture is sprayed evenly over the entire foliage, preferably in the morning or late afternoon hours.
- Similarly an effective control is the use of neem extract combined with Bacillus thuringiensis, because they cause high mortality of the worm, this alternative was proven by Gonzalez, Reyes and Hernandez (2015), in their research called Biological products for the control of Spodoptera frugiperda(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the researchers pointed out that having native isolates of entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria and plant extracts from the ori¬gen region, adapted to the climatic conditions, guarantees greater toxicity and pathogenicity on the insect.
It is necessary to take into account this type of alternative, since it generates a crop protection without generating a negative impact on the functional biodiversity of the agroecosystem, since the number of insecticide applications is reduced.
| Cultural control in pastures |
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- At the moment of establishing a pasture or in pastures already established with stoloniferous growth, it is recommended to carry out an adequate soil preparation using implements such as plows or light harrows, with the purpose of removing the soil, since in this way the larvae and pupae would be exposed to the birds that feed on them.
- In case of detecting the presence of larvae in the pasture crop, overgrazing is recommended to reduce the food source (leaves) and the animals destroy some larvae by the action of trampling, then fertilizers should be applied for the recovery of the pasture. It is necessary to emphasize that this strategy should not be performed frequently because it could affect the availability of pasture in the paddock.
| Chemical control in pastures |
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When the threshold of infestation by larvae of Spodotera is exceeded, it is necessary to resort to the application of insecticides, the most used commercial products are Lorsban 4E in doses of 1L/ha and Lannate in doses of 1.0-1.5 L/ha, with these products good results are obtained but after their application it is convenient to remove the animals from the paddock for a period of approximately 21-30 days, with the intention of preventing the contamination of the same. This type of control as mentioned repeatedly causes an imbalance in agroecosystems affecting the functional biodiversity present.
| Final considerations |
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Dear farmers, the Spodoptera frugiperda is an insect of high impact on the global agricultural sector, many efforts have been added for its control, a few months ago in December 2019, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), launched the Global Action for the fight against Spodoptera f. providing 500 million dollars in response to the rapid spread of the corn earworm, the proposed action seeks to establish working groups for the study of the corn earworm, mobilizing resources towards research aimed at the implementation of efficient practices in the control of the larva in crops such as corn, rice, sorghum, vegetables, legumes, among others of importance for food security.
| Bibliographic references |
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González, M.; Reyes, N. and Hernández, I. (2015). Biological products for the control of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Rev. Colombiana de Entomología, 41(2), 200-204.
Farmer Services Foundation (2005). Pastures (2nd ed.). Maracaibo: Autor.
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