World Agrochemical Network Chinese: Koppert recently announced that its biopesticide Terranem, a biological insecticide based on Sphenophorus carpocapsae, will be launched in Brazil. According to the report, the product is mainly used for the control of sugarcane weevil (Sphenophorus levis).
Marcelino Borges de Brito, Koppert’s Brazilian Agricultural Development Coordinator, explained: ″We call Terranem a ‘beneficial nematode’ because it provides sustainable and efficient control of an important pest in sugarcane fields, the sugarcane weevil. -sugarcane weevil, and does not threaten the plantation environment.
Koppert said Terranem includes ″high technology″ in its formulation, providing ″ideal conditions″ for nematode control with excellent agronomic suitability in the field. Studies have shown that Terranem has been applied very effectively, significantly reducing the number of pests and thus the percentage of infested stalks, making it an effective solution for the management of this serious and damaging sugarcane pest″.
According to the Brazilian National Bioenergy Consortium (UDOP), the pest that currently causes the most damage to Brazil’s sugarcane production potential is the sugarcane weevil. It is estimated that for every 1% of stalks attacked by the pest, sugarcane yields are reduced by about 1.6 tons/ha. The insect larvae feed on the base of the stalk, which is opened in circular longitudinal orifices, destroying the entire internal structure until the adult stage.
The continued infestation of the sugarcane weevil in the root zone and the resulting reduction in cultivation causes cumulative losses in reduced sugarcane yields, forcing early harvesting of sugarcane fields, which often also makes it impossible to follow up with a second harvest, Koppert said, adding that controlling this pest is often very difficult and requires producers to adopt different strategies.
Terranem is very effective in controlling the sugarcane weevil, but it also has other complementary effects. This is mainly because the nematode releases bacteria through the pest’s natural orifices, converting host tissue into a food source. As a result, the nematodes feed, develop and reproduce inside the insects, resulting in their death within hours. When the insects are degraded, they become a special substance that causes the death of other pests when they come in contact with plants while feeding.
Source: World Agrochemical Network
Post time: Nov-10-2022