Workshop addresses nematodes in coffee growing in Minas Gerais

This Thursday, August 28th, starting at 8:2 a.m., the municipality of Patrocínio, Minas Gerais, will host the XNUMXnd edition of the Workshop on Nematodes in Coffee Farming. The event will be held at the Coffee Center of Excellence and will focus on "Nematodes in Coffee Farming: Diagnosis, Coexistence, and Containment of Spread."

The Minas Gerais Agricultural Research Corporation (EPAMIG) is one of the technical supporters and participates in the program by disseminating research, techniques, and technologies focused on parasite management. In Minas Gerais, nematodes are among the main agricultural pests, with a significant impact on coffee and other crops. 

The event arose from a request from the Coffee Research Center of Carmo do Paranaíba and Region (CPCCAP), managed by the Coffee Growers Association of the Carmo do Paranaíba Region (Assocafé). Concerned about the presence of nematodes in coffee crops in the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba regions, Assocafé, in conjunction with the Cerrado Mineiro Coffee Development Foundation (Fundaccer), highlighted the need to better understand the problem, disseminate management technologies, and, most importantly, prevent its spread.

Through Fundaccer, Epamig began contributing to both the organization and technical aspects of the event. Thus, in 2023, the 1st Workshop on Nematode Challenges in Coffee Farming in the Cerrado was held.

"We understand the importance of this topic and observed the satisfaction of the participants in the first edition. Therefore, we proposed continuing the event, in conjunction with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Café), to discuss new producer demands, the information gap, and ways to contain nematodes," said Vinícius Teixeira Andrade, a researcher at Epamig.

The program for the 2nd edition of the workshop includes lectures and technical debates led by EPAMIG researchers and representatives from institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), Educampo, among others.

"It's primarily a discussion event. We'll address legislation related to nematodes that attack coffee crops, from seedling production to the management of already affected areas. We'll also address the issue of rented machinery, which is a strong vector. The idea is to seek regulations that prevent the pathogen from entering the crop and spreading to other regions," added Vinícius.