UPDATE ON THE “ATTRACT CONTROL” TECHNOLOGY IN BOLL WEEVIL PREVENTION, SUPPRESSION ERADICATION PROGRAMS IN LATIN AMERICA DURING CROP CYCLES 2003/2004 2004/2005

摘要

The use of the “Attract & Control” technology (based on the Bait Stick) in boll weevil control, prevention, suppression and eradication programs maintains an important role in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Paraguay. The “Bait Stick” (known as the BWACT~(R) in the USA, the Tubo Mata Bicudo or TMB~(R) in Brazil and the Tubo Mata Picudo or TMP~(R) in Spanish speaking Latin America) has been successfully used in IPM Programs for more than 12 years in Central America and for about 8 years in Brazil. In National Cotton Programs, it has been deployed for 9 years by Paraguay (annually in program acres varying from 500,000 to 850,000 acres) and by Colombia for 5 years (annually in about 100,000 program acres). For 10 years, the country of Argentina has successfully used pheromone traps and TMPs as part of their National Program to detect, eradicate and prevent the establishment of boll weevils in their major cotton zones (currently in about 750,000 program acres). InBolivia, the National Program is reactivating and TMPs are being installed to eliminate weevils that have become established during the last 2 crop cycles, when the Program was inactive. The “Bait Stick” or TMB/TMP results from the national and IPM programs in Central and South Central America have been outstanding. Where used correctly, as a complement to local production programs, the boll weevil has been removed from the production scheme, populations have been reduced by 95+%, crop damage has beenreduced to less than 2%, seed cotton yields have been increased an average of 350 lbs. per acre and the requirements for massive insecticide usage for boll weevil control have been substantially reduced. When used year after year, as an additive to programs, the TMB/TMP has greatly contributed to the elimination of economic damage from boll weevils at an approximate per acre cost of 8.80 per dollar crop cycle and resulted in an average “cost to benefit” ratio of 1 dollar:12 dollar, i. e. for each 1 dollar in cost there has been a resulting 12 dollar in benefits”. TMB/TMP product improvements and results from the aforementioned programs are presented herein.