AgBiTech Academy focuses on the challenges of application technology in Lepidoptera control

This Wednesday (24/03), the 'AgBiTech Academy' program reaches its seventh module. The initiative, sponsored by the Australian-American AgBiTech, brings together researchers linked to renowned agribusiness consultancies, with the aim of discussing the management of caterpillars caused by baculovirus and biological control in Brazilian agriculture. According to AgBiTech's marketing director, agronomist Murilo Moreira, currently 22 consultancies, from nine agricultural states, are part of the company's Academy.

According to Moreira, AgBiTech Academy meetings take place monthly, currently in an online format, and cover topics such as the commodities market, the strategic role of agricultural consultancies in the field and soybean, corn and cotton caterpillars. At each event, AgBiTech and the Academy's member consultants receive a guest speaker.

This Wednesday, 24th, the AgBiTech Academy will feature a presentation by researcher Hamilton Ramos, from the Engineering and Automation Center (CEA), from the Agronomic Institute (IAC), an agency of the Department of Agriculture and Supply of the State of SP. One of Brazil's most renowned specialists in the field of agricultural pesticides, Ramos will give a talk on the theme Challenges of Application Technology for Caterpillar Control.

An agricultural engineer and doctor in Plant Production, Ramos is also coordinator of the Aplique Bem, Spray Adjuvants, IAC-Quepia and Reference Unit in Technology and Safety in the Application of Agrochemicals programs. The four initiatives unite the private sector with CEA-IAC, which is located in the city of Jundiaí-SP.

Cotton bollworms 

Research & development manager at AgBiTech, Marcelo Lima highlights that the use of baculovirus-based bioinsecticides has been widely studied by the company, and by consultants from the AgBiTech Academy, in the control of Spodoptera frugiperda, one of the pests that causes the most damage to cotton and to other cultures. “The association of baculovirus with insecticides with shock action is favorable to the producer in controlling the caterpillar”, explains the agronomist. “We have already observed that this treatment reduced between 60% and 70% of the foliar damage transferred by the pest to corn”, he adds.

For the researcher at the Mato Grosso do Sul consultancy Desafios Agro, Germison Tomquelski, management based on the combination of bioinsenticide and chemical insecticide with shock action has demonstrated a rapid response to Spodoptera frugiperda in cotton. “We also observed a longer control period, between seven days and ten days, compared to other methods.”