Brazil has effective alternative to chemical, biological control of Helicoverpa armigera

Is there a biological or chemical control that is adequate and sufficient for Brazil to control the caterpillar Helicoverpa armigera? Cecilia Czepak, PhD in Entomology, responded to this question. She was one of the pioneers on the identification of Helicoverpa armigera when the plague arrived in Brazil in 2013.

"Certainly, we have reputed companies that sell chemical and biological products that can help in the management of this and other plagues, provided the producer shows interest and wants a real change in conducting crop rotation,” the expert responded.

She cited “food attractants, pheromones, parasitoids and biological products based on Bacillus thuringiensis or virus as alternatives that are specific for the plague. On the other hand, it is important to highlight that the tactics for control require certain care, mostly related to the application time, distribution or spraying, and its presence on the crop, as it is not a chemical treatment.”

"It is good that currently we have chemical products that have shown to be more selective; however, these are products that require technical knowledge and should be applied based on monitoring and technical knowledge,” Czepak explained.

The expert recommended continued monitoring of the areas and discussing the first sign of presence of the caterpillar with an expert who would be able to decide with the producer the options on how to manage the plague. “Despite the existing crisis in the country, the Brazilian farmers are heroes, because they know how important agriculture was for their economy and are not let down because of an exotic plague. We only need our rulers to understand this and start encouraging the brave workers of the field,” she concluded.