AgroPages-Brazil: El Niño alters the dynamics of pests and diseases, and demands attention from farmers-Agricultural news

The latest weather information confirms that El Niño will be fully developed by the end of the year, directly affecting the 2018/2019 summer harvest. "Each locality suffers in a different way with the action of the phenomenon, but in all of them it is necessary to be prepared and attentive to the predictions of changes in the patterns of distribution of the rains, to avoid planting delays and losses in productivity due to exposure to prolonged drought," said Climatempo's agri-meteorologist, João Castro.

Characterized by the abnormal warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean, El Niño promotes a change in the distribution of rainfall throughout the world, considerably affecting agriculture. In Brazil, the effects of the phenomenon are excessive rainfall in the South, drought in the Northeast and irregular precipitation in the Midwest. The scenario is conducive to increased pests and diseases in almost all crops, which puts farmers on the alert and reinforces the importance of monitoring. "Regions where the weather is hotter and drier than normal tend to find a higher incidence of pests, because rainfall is a natural control and higher temperature accelerates the pest cycle," noted Luis Fernando Andrade, manager of IHARA Insecticide Products.

According to Andrade, the next harvest, mainly in the MAPITOBA region, should be accompanied by an increase in the incidence of whiteflies and bedbugs in soybean, corn and cotton crops. "Farmers need to intensify monitoring and be prepared with the control measures they already use. The important thing is to observe some adjustments, such as taking care not to apply pesticides during warmer times," he said. Adaptation is necessary, because low humidity and high temperatures make it difficult to move the product in the plant, and can reduce its efficiency.

For the specialist, a good method is to use pesticides together with adjuvants, which help decrease evaporation of the product. Another option is to use more modern formulations, as is the case of IHARA, Privilege and Bold insecticides. The first solution is the only one on the market that controls the whitefly at all stages of development, including eggs, nymphs and adults. It stands out for its triple mode of action (contact, systemic and translaminar), which allows it to traverse the entire plant, reaching the insect at the moment it sucks the sap, besides passing through the leaves. Bold is a high impact insecticide against bed bugs, due to its impact and prolonged residual effect, and can be applied in any way, be it aerial or terrestrial.

Asian Rust May Rise in South

If in the Northern part of the country the problem is caused by drought, in the Southern region the excess rainfall is the great villain for crops, especially in soybean. In these localities, the producer encounters difficulties, mainly in the sowing phase, and later, with the issue of phytosanitary control, since there is a great proliferation of diseases with humidity, among them being Asian rust.

In Paraná, the second largest soybean producer in the country, farmers who have already begun planting the grain for the 2018/2019 crop are alert to the onset of outbreaks of the disease. "The environmental conditions of high humidity and temperature associated with cloudiness in constant rainfall conditions provide the ideal scenario for the infection and proliferation of various diseases, such as soybean rust. The longer leaf wetting time that occurs in these situations is a key factor in the establishment of rust," said Luis Demant, manager of Fungicide Products at IHARA.

According to Demant, monitoring is essential to avoid losses. "Another tip is to always use the applications in a preventative way, in order to protect plants from the initial infection by the rust. The use of effective technologies, combined with good cultural practices, is also important to avoid losses of productivity due to the climatic effect," he said.

The choice of more rain-resistant detergents is also indicated to preserve control effectiveness, especially during wetter periods. "IHARA's handling solution for Asian rust takes this into account: EC Fusion has a high absorption rate, rapidly reaching all areas of the plant, and Approve, with a differentiated formulation, has resistance to rain, unlike other protective fungicides," noted Demant.

Demant still warns of the greater possibility of anthracnose and white mold in the Southern region, requiring the use of high-efficiency control tools against these diseases, such as Approve.

Production Projections

The changes that El Niño must bring to the agricultural area throughout the country can have a direct impact on productivity. Experts believe that the northern region of Brazil must have breaks in some crops due to the driest weather, even if the phenomenon does not have an intense impact. Point losses are also expected in the Midwest region, but should not be significantly impacted by the region's total production. In the South, however, the situation should be the opposite, with good results for the summer crop, although phytosanitary issues may incur occasional damage to farmers who do not apply rigorous chemical controls over biological agents, mainly fungi, which are the cause of the main diseases of soybean crops.

The impact will also be felt during the second harvest of the year. As a result of the climate, some producers need to change the crop to ensure better results.