INIA Chile launches biological control plan for Lobesia botrana

By Leonardo Gottems, Reporter for AgroPages

Professionals from the entomology and biotechnology team at the Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) developed a plan for the biological control of Lobesia botrana.

The technical material will help in the sustainable control of one of the main pests that affects the export of food in Chile.

Technical Data Sheet No. 36, entitled, “Proposal for Integrated Management to Control Lobesia botrana using Entomopathogenic Fungi and Bacteria,” was written by the INIA La Platina team, whose members are Eduardo Tapia, Fabiola Altimira, Paulo Godoy and Nancy Vitta.

The group of professionals aims to decrease the recurring use of toxic pesticides on fields, and generate more ecological alternatives that will help control the vine moth, which is a quarantine pest present from the Atacama region to Araucanía, mainly affecting vines, blueberries and plums.

The results presented in the relevant file correspond to a project conducted by INIA La Platina and the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), supported by the Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA) and organizations linked to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Regarding the institute’s management strategy, INIA La Platina biotechnology specialist Eduardo Tapia said that it was drafted after rigorous selection procedures and applications in the Metropolitan and O'Higgins regions, resulting in a compatible integrated management proposal in line with existing strategies, to enable sustainable and environmentally friendly vine production.