Argentina agriculture threatened by Helicoverpa Armigera

A recently detected plague in La Cocha, province of Tucumán, represents a new threat for agriculture in Argentina due to its destructive power. It is the Helicoverpa Armigera caterpillar. It is very aggressive with high mobility and a great capacity to spread. Besides, it may affect more than one hundred species.

In Argentina, it has been detected in traps set in garbanzo beans; while in Brazil it has already been found in cotton, soybean and corn. Damages in Brazil were huge, for it has attack both small plants as well as grains.

In the neighboring country, the plague was detected two years after its arrival. They assumed it was the already existing heliothis. But in Argentina it represents a red alert, since it may rapidly expand to other regions and crops thanks to its high mobility – which makes the plague almost unstoppable.

According to specialists, professionals should be trained, producers should be alert, and public entities should promote actions to help wipe out this potential damage that may affect national output.