Event transfers management techniques to fig and guava cultivation

O alignment between the field, the environment, the industry, the consumer and the research carried out by the Agronomic Institute (IAC), of the São Paulo State Department of Agriculture, has been one of the pillars since its foundation in 1887. Reaffirming its line of action , the IAC held the XXVII Cycle of Phytosanitary Lectures on fig and guava crops, in Campinas, on February 21, 2020 in response to the request of consultants and producers in the region. Brazil is an important exporter of these fruits, with São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina being the main producing states. Production in São Paulo is the second largest, representing 38% of fig production and 34% of guava, according to 2018 data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

The event addressed the different types of management for fig and guava diseases and pests, as well as fungus and pest control with citronella oil, sulfur and silicon. According to IAC researcher Margarida Fumiko Ito, good phytosanitary management involves an adequate cultivation system, soil preparation, healthy planting material, periodic inspections, elimination of diseased plants and crop residues in the area and not leaving crops abandoned, as these can be sources of pests and phytopathogens, which can contaminate neighboring crops. "It is still necessary to carry out good soil management, adequate irrigation, pruning, biological control, washing and disinfecting tools, implements, shoes, boots and others, used in contaminated crops, with sodium hypochlorite", at each operation, she says. Care is also recommended, such as adopting windbreaks and crop rotation.

In the Campinas region, the municipality of Valinhos was responsible for the production of 3,6 thousand tons of figs and 14 thousand tons of table guava (IBGE, 2018). According to Margarida, the two crops play an important economic and social role for the region, in the Fruit Circuit. "The activities carried out in the field enable the generation of income and employment in the municipalities", she says.

Fig and guava crops are more suitable for areas with fertile soil, rich in organic matter, moist but not waterlogged, and with a diversity of beneficial organisms. The mild climate is conducive to their development, but they adapt to a wide range of temperatures. For the IAC researcher, soil is the main substrate for agriculture and various raw materials for food production originate from it, in addition to the soil's capacity, depending on its good chemical, physical and biological composition, to recycle materials, filter and retain water.

Another recommendation made by the IAC researcher is the adoption of crop rotation, with the planting of legumes, preferably, as the organic matter produced by the plant is used, in addition to the assimilation of nitrogen, which is made available to the crop. "The use of legumes increases the production of organic matter in the soil, which can contribute to increasing the biodiversity of beneficial organisms", comments Margarida.

These organisms contribute to the control of crop pests and diseases. Furthermore, organic matter improves the physical, chemical and biological structures of the soil, enabling the roots to go deeper. This deepening improves and provides greater volume to the root system, optimizing the absorption of water and nutrients, making the plant more vigorous and less susceptible to water stress and attacks by pests and phytopathogens.