Some Remarks on pest control in Brazil Thanks to Anderson Galvão – Céleres Consultoria and Prof. Marcelo Gravina de Moraes -UFRGS

Starting point: adoption of new technologies has been very important to Brazilian agriculture Modern breeding techniques: significant gains in the productivity of soybean, corn and cotton – Cost reduction; – Productivity gains; – Environmental benefits: reducing pesticide usage and water consumption, using less energy and changing the technologies for soil preparation (no-till) ; – Most importantly: generating a sustainable reduction in food prices – Competitiveness in international market Problems reducing efficiency of GM – Weeds resistance to herbicides – Insect resistance to Bt

Use of Certified seeds

GM DIFFUSION – CROPS PATTERNS

Best Practices: A sample of big farmers (Céleres Consultancy) C-W, West Bahia,

Current scenario: recent events on insect resistance Ex. 1: Upsurge of an exotic specie originally in quarentine:Helicoverpa armigera – Polyfhagous insect; – High fertility; – Migration of the moth and the high mobility of the caterpillar; – Resilience; – Adaptability to seasonal variations; – It attacks beans, sorghum, tomato, pepper, citrus, coffee. Ex. 2: Increase of the population of resistance Spodoptera frugiperda Normally Bt controls this insect; This is happening in countries with tropical weather conditions; Hydrological stress generates favorable conditions to the pest life cycle.

Opinions from agronomists and scientists of the RS-Br There are many wrong strategies related to Technologies and not only due to the bad usage of Bt – Succession planting of host crops in very extensive and continued áreas; – Reduction of the insecticide usage; – The use of the same events (genes) in diferent The use of the same events (genes) in differents cultivars.

Opinions from agronomists and scientists of the RS-Br Replacement of broad-range insecticides for Bt, whose action and accessibility are restricted to a certain group of pest /insects; Drastic changing of strategies in crop management may generate opportunities for the raise of secondary pests;; Lack of monitoring of pest and of their natural enemies;

Opinions from agronomists and scientists of the RS-Br Use of irrigation to allow cultivation in periods of low hydric availability; Strong selection pressure due to the existence of shelter for pest all over the year,

Opinions from agronomists and scientists of the RS-Br Action of the available genes are similar; The modest number of new events from research institutions and companies partially due to harsh regulatory measures contributes to intensify the problem: – Genes Cry1Ab, Cry2Ab and Cry 1F maize and cotton; – Genes Cry1A.105, Cry3Bb and VIP3Aa maize; – Genes Cry 2Ae in cotton and Cry1Ac in soybean. Same genes in the genotype of cultivars of diferent firms; Low availability of non-Bt cultivars with high productivity; These facts put limits to the adoption of rotational strategies for crops and genes.

Strategies for action Starting point: identify the problem – Pest and natural enemies co-occurence data – Identification of the current pest management – Evaluation of environmental impacts and losses due to pest occurance ; – Data base Simulations of the efficiency of different methods of pest control; IMP assessment

Defining adequate zones for cropping Integrated Management of Pest linked to zoning – Development of sanitary reserves (hole zones); – Changing in the rotation of cultures procedure – Limit some planting periods Diversifying Bt to match with crop rotational schedule

Diversifying refuge strategies Adoption of 10% refuge areas. Allow a variety of refuge areas according to pest population and crops: attention to harsh situations; Avoid to apply high dosages of insecticides; More selective insecticedes, trying to protect natural enemies. Avoid concentration in few products

Improving the diffusion of biological control Available agents – Trichogramma pretiosum (acts on eggs) – Baculovirus – Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) New toxins Important for refuge areas