Wasp biofactory inaugurated in Brazil‏

The first wasp biofactory in the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil was inaugurated in August to produce the Trichogramm app for the biological control of Helicoverpa armigera. The initial production is to annually cover approximately 7000 ha of crops. By 2015, the facility is to reach 20,000 hectares of crop.

 

The unit is located in the municipality of Montenegro and it is a result of a partnership of the Rio Grande do Sul's Association of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Enterprises (Emater/RS), the Secretariat of Rural Development and Cooperatives of the state, and Sorghum and Corn unit of Embrapa in Sete Lagoas (Minais Gerais). The factory has the production technology and 200 technicians, with technical support from sorghum and corn of Embrapa, who owns the wasp technology. The Emater/RS launched the biological control campaign last year. Through this initiative, they carried out the monitoring of 9000 hectares of crop, requiring the release of Trichogramma wasps on 4900 hectares.

 

The production is aimed mostly for small farmers. "For family farmers, this work developed here will be positive, because it enables producing healthy food, in a form of combating pest that does not harm plants and environment. Our country needs to promote this practice ", said the representative of Movement of Small Farmers, Romário Rosseto.