Evaluación de la eficiencia de cebos vegetales en la captura del picudo negro (Rhynchophorus palmarum) en el cultivo de palma africana (elaeis guineensis jacq.) en la prov. del Guayas.

Abstract

The oil palm, native to West Africa, is a perennial plant with a commercial lifespan of 24 to 28 years, during which it produces clusters of oleaginous fruits essential for obtaining palm oil. The presence of the black weevil (Rhynchophorus palmarum L.), an insect that feeds on palm sap, represents a significant threat that can even cause the death of the plant. The control of the black weevil not only applies to African palm cultivation, but also affects other crops such as coconut trees. The implementation of sustainable control strategies becomes crucial to preserve the productivity and profitability of the crop, comply with environmental regulations and safeguard the environment and human health. The capture of the black weevil becomes a fundamental practice for integrated pest management in African palm cultivation, using various techniques ranging from pheromone traps to specific insecticides. Within these methods, the effectiveness of the synthetic pheromone stands out, managing to capture an average of five insects, exceeding the effectiveness of other evaluated methods by 50 %. In addition, the incorporation of molasses to the products used in capture traps improves the effectiveness of the trap.