SmartBIn: New technology for mass rearing the parasitoid Jaliscoa grandis to control the boll weevil

• Grant number: 25/19769-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: January 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Ana Clara Ribeiro de Paiva Iost
• Grantee: Ana Clara Ribeiro de Paiva Iost
• Associated research grant: 24/09488-0 - SmartBIn: New technology for mass rearing the parasitoid Jaliscoa grandis to control the boll weevil, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/26985-0 - Bioecology of the parasitoid Jaliscoa grandis: basis for its use under field conditions., BP.TT; 25/28102-9 - Rearing of Callosobruchus maculatus and Jaliscoa grandis for use in a biological control program in cotton crop., BP.TT; 25/26926-4 - SmartBIn: New technology for mass rearing the parasitoid Jaliscoa grandis to control the boll weevil, BP.PIPE

Abstract

In the context of Brazilian agriculture, cotton cultivation stands out both in terms of cultivated area and production volume as well as for the high level of technology in the sector. However, a negative aspect associated with cotton growing is the high use of synthetic pesticides, especially for controlling the main pest of the crop, the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman, 1843 - Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Driven by consumer market demands, mainly international, in pursuit of certifications, and by a change in the mindset of Brazilian farmers, the use of alternative methods to chemical control has been growing in recent years, with emphasis on the biological control of pests. An example of a macro-organism used as a biological control agent of A. grandis is the larval parasitoid Jaliscoa grandis Burks, 1954 (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Unlike chemical molecules, which face difficulties in reaching the target, this parasitoid actively searches for cotton boll weevil larvae, attacking them even inside the plant structures of cotton. An alternative large-scale production methodology for this parasitoid has already been consolidated by SmartMIP, being more feasible and economical compared to the traditional technique described in the literature, which uses cotton boll weevil larvae as the host of the parasitoid. In our model, tested and validated in PIPE-Phase 1, we used an alternative host, the bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus Fabr., 1775 (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), reared on cowpea beans using SmartBIn technology. Large-scale insect production represents one of the main challenges for biological control programs with macro-organisms, as it involves issues related to qualified labor, inputs, and the quality of the final product (bio-input). With the production processes of the host C. maculatus already tested and validated, the next stage will be dedicated to defining the production parameters of the parasitoid J. grandis, which must be better clarified before its release in the field. The information obtained here will be essential to ensure the success of the biological control program being developed with our technology. Thus, the objectives of PIPE-Phase 2 are to validate the large-scale production of the parasitoid and to define the release parameters in the field for its use in applied biological control programs. (AU)