Ecological management of okra crop in the western region of the São Paulo State

• Grant number: 06/04197-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2007
• End date: December 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Terezinha Monteiro dos Santos Cividanes
• Grantee: Terezinha Monteiro dos Santos Cividanes
• Host Institution: Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The study will be carried out in the Experimental Farm of Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios - APTA - Pólo Regional de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico dos Agronegócios do Extremo Oeste, in Andradina municipality, São Paulo State. It will be studied the populational fluctuation of the insect-pests and its natural enemies in the okra crop, sowed in different conditions of soil fertilization (chemical and organic) and different genetic materials. The evaluations of the insect-pests and its natural enemies will be biweekly, initiating 15 days after the emergency of the plants, totalizing six evaluations. The insects in the aerial part of the plants will be sampled by visual search, while the sampling of arthropods that live in the soil will be realized by pitfall traps.Evaluations of growth, productivity and economic analysis in the okra crop in the different sown systems will be realized. After the beginning of the harvest, will be carried three times of pruning of renewal of the okra crop, and it will be evaluated the time of productive reestablishment of the plant and the production of the fruits.The neem extract effect on the insect-pests and its natural enemies in the okra crop will be determined under laboratory conditions. The treatments will be constituted by applications of neem commercial formulation; aqueous extract of seeds and neem leaves and for the control, water application.In the conservation biological control, it will be evaluated the influence of sowed sorghum and pfaffia in surrounding edges to okra plants on the occurrence of natural enemies in this crop. In the laboratory, the biological aspects of the main species of coccinellids and chrysopids collected in the okra crop will be studied. These predators will be maintained in climatized chambers in the temperatures of 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30 ± 0,5°C, 12 hours of photophase and 70 ± 5% of relative humidity. In greenhouse will be determined the populational reduction potential of A. gossypii aphids in okra plants by predators species. (AU)