Title : Phytosanitary challenges in Amazonian agroecology: Incidence and severity of insect pests in strategic crops in the Amazonas community, Madre Tierra Parish, Pastaza Canton
Abstract:
Despite advances in agricultural production, farmers today face significant challenges. On the one hand, consumers are increasingly demanding, demanding high-quality products free of pesticide residues and with a long shelf life. On the other hand, insecticides are becoming less effective at controlling insect pests. This means that management programs must seek new strategies for integrated control that do not rely exclusively on pesticides. Extension agents and farmers must be thoroughly familiar with the most common insect pests of their crops and their control methods. Direct and indirect methods for estimating the number of insect pests in plants, with their advantages and disadvantages, are currently in use and constitute an important tool for management decision-making. Their practical application, after determining action thresholds and critical points, allows management strategies to be deployed only when necessary, thereby reducing production costs associated with control schemes based on scheduled pesticide applications. In this context, and within the framework of the project "Implementation of a technological innovation system in agricultural production in the Pastaza province," the incidence and severity of damage caused by insect pests associated with the agricultural system were evaluated in the Amazonas community, Madre Tierra Parish, Pastaza Canton. The study was conducted using an exploratory and descriptive approach. The incidence and severity of insect pests in naranjilla (Solanum quitoense Lam.), roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) crops were evaluated. To assess incidence and severity, zigzag sampling was conducted, using a visual count of 10% of the plant population per crop to evaluate insect pest populations. In the case of sugarcane, two sites per hectare were sampled, with 15-day assessment intervals. To determine severity, visual scales were used according to the type of insect pest per crop. The results show that the fruit-boring larva Neoleucinodes elegantalis Guenée in naranjilla increased its incidence from 15.1% to 32.9% between the first and second assessments, while the severity increased from 29.2% to 34.2%, indicating an accumulation of damage. In roselle, the leaf-cutting ant Atta sp. showed a severity of 34.2%, although the incidence decreased from 28.6% to 14.3%, possibly due to environmental factors. In sugarcane, the pink scale Saccharicoccus sacchari Cockerell recorded fluctuations in incidence between 5.7% and 22.5%. The assessment of insect pest damage in the Amazonas community showed that Neoleucinodes elegantalis increased damage to naranjilla, Atta spp. was highly severe in roselle, and Saccharicoccus sacchari affected sugarcane yield. These results highlight the importance of monitoring to implement integrated management strategies and reduce production losses through sustainable agricultural practices.
