Cocari reinforces integrated management to protect soybean crops.

Pests remain among the main challenges for soybean cultivation and require increasingly precise control strategies. To ensure crop health and preserve productive potential, Rodrigo Rombaldi, supervisor of the Technical Department of Cocari (Devet), highlights the importance of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), an approach that combines different control methods and relies heavily on continuous monitoring.

According to Rombaldi, IPM integrates cultural, chemical, and biological practices to minimize the occurrence of pests. "The way we measure the effectiveness and needs of these methods depends entirely on pest monitoring," he explains. He emphasizes that constant observation of the crop allows for the identification of the species present, understanding their behavior, and determining the correct time for intervention.

Among preventive practices, crop rotation stands out as an essential measure to avoid host plants of primary pests. Seed treatment with effective active ingredients also contributes to reducing damage in the early stages of soybean development. In addition, pre-planting desiccation with insecticides can help reduce the population already established in the field before crop emergence.

After planting, monitoring remains the foundation of IPM (Integrated Pest Management). The use of the beating cloth continues to be the most effective method for assessing the presence and level of pest infestation, although new electronic traps are demonstrating good performance. "Each stage of the crop has a key pest, depending on climatic conditions," says the supervisor.

Rombaldi notes that caterpillars of the Spodoptera complex have shown an increase in recent harvests, especially during dry periods. At the beginning of the cycle, secondary pests such as flea beetles and metallice are also common. During the "row closure" stage, the incidence of mites and thrips increases—a group that is a concern because there are few chemical control options available.

During the reproductive phase, the biggest challenge is the bedbug complex, which requires attention to the habits of each species and the use of products with a longer residual effect. The technician also draws attention to the monitoring of whiteflies in the Ivaí Valley (PR). Although they do not yet cause direct damage, their presence points to the need to prevent sucking insects from becoming disease vectors.

For Rombaldi, the combination of constant vigilance and integrated strategies is crucial to maintaining crop health and ensuring good results at the end of the harvest. "Care and monitoring are essential so that we can act efficiently and sustainably, protecting the crop and guaranteeing a successful harvest," he concludes.