Mass rearing and commercialization of Trichogramma spp. and Cotesia flavipes for the control of agricultural pests

• Grant number: 01/08394-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: January 01, 2002
• End date: February 28, 2005
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre de Sene Pinto
• Grantee: Alexandre de Sene Pinto
• Company: CP2 Ltda. - ME

Abstract

The aim of this project is to make available to the user good quality insects, since the lack of this requirement represents the greatest obstacle to the popularization of biological control in Brazil. Nowadays, there is enormous interest in the use of this alternative, but insects are not always available for purchase and, when they are, the biological specimens are not always of the desired quality. The insects will be produced using conventional techniques which will be fine-tuned, adapting them to the Brazilian reality, especially in the acquisition of components of artificial diets for breeding, lowering the manpower costs and monitoring biological characteristics through the generations to ensure the quality of the insect produced as well as its performance in field conditions. The project intends to use Cotesia flavipes (Cameron, 1891) in cane sugar, a larval parasitoid for the control of Diatraea saccharalis(Fabr., 1794), traditionally used in Brazil, and Trichogramma spp., an egg parasitoid which can be used to control this pest in areas where the egg-predation is low or in areas where the climatic conditions did not permit the adaptation of the braconidae mentioned. In this case, Trichogramma galloi will be used, with other species of Trichogramma (especially T. pretiosum) being suited to commercialization for the control of lepidopterans in tomato (vine, staked and in greenhouses), cotton plants, maize, etc., since the production of these natural enemies is considerably advanced in our conditions. (AU)