Tocantins begins the sanitary vacuum period on September 20th

In order to prevent and control the boll weevil, the main pest that attacks cotton crops, the state of Tocantins will begin a sanitary break on September 20 and continue until November 20. During this 60-day period, the maintenance and planting of the crop in the field is prohibited. In the 2023/2024 harvest, the state recorded a 37,1% growth in the cultivated area, going from 6,2 thousand hectares to 8,5 thousand hectares.

Marco Aurélio Vaz, technical manager for the State Program for Large Crops at the Agricultural Defense Agency (Adapec), explains that producers' correct compliance with this measure helps ensure more sustainable production, in addition to contributing to strengthening the production chain, and that Adapec is doing its part. “We will carry out monitoring and field verification to ensure that there are no plants with phytosanitary risks in the cultivation areas during the prohibition period,” he says.

The legislation provides that if plants with a phytosanitary risk are found, the process of eliminating them is the responsibility of the owner or occupant of the area, and the producer must do so mechanically or chemically. If the rules are not complied with, the owner will be subject to sanctions provided for by law.

Data

In Tocantins, the cotton planted area grew 37,1%, going from 6,2 thousand hectares registered in the 2022/2023 harvest to 8,5 thousand hectares of cotton cultivation in the 2023/2024 harvest. The municipalities that stood out with the largest cotton production were: Campos Lindos, Dianópolis and Nova Rosalândia

Cotton boll weevil

Adults are gray or brown beetles measuring 3 mm to 7 mm in length. They infest cotton crops from the beginning of flower bud emission until harvest, and can have 4 to 6 generations in a crop cycle and, if not controlled, can cause losses of up to 70% of production.