Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: RENATA LARANJEIRA DA SILVA

Seasonal monitoring and biological control of the weevil banana cultivated at different

 altitudes in the municipality of Saquarema-RJ

Banana farming, Prague, Cosmopolites sordidus, trap

Banana cultivation, one of the most socioeconomically important fruits in Brazil, has great relevance in Brazilian 

fruit growing. Despite the large production areas, the activity is practiced by small producers, mostly family

 farmers, with low productivity for subsistence, direct sales or to neighboring cities. The state of Rio de Janeiro

 has low average productivity and the second lowest national productivity. The municipality of Saquarema has

 an average productivity below that of the state, being among the municipalities with the lowest productivity in

 the state. This is due to the majority of production systems being traditional, without technological level and

 driven by rural producers, most of which have extractive management. There are some factors that affect fruit

 productivity and quality, such as phytosanitary management, nutritional conditions, irrigation, soil moisture and

type of cultivar. Regarding pest attacks, the rhizome borer, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar, 1824) (Coleoptera:

 Curculionidae) is considered a key pest of banana crops, as its larvae open galleries in its rhizome, causing the

 decline, overturning and death of young plants. There are conventional control methods, using chemical 

insecticides, capable of reducing the problems caused by this pest. However, they increase the cost of 

production and cause impacts on biodiversity, soil and human health. Therefore, there are currently sustainable

 techniques, with minimal environmental impact and low cost, which are essential in family farming.

 Monitoring the rhizome borer, using traps made from banana pseudostem, is a fundamental step to

 understanding the population dynamics of this insect and decision-making on control measures to be used

 in pest management. Associated with biological control, specifically the use of Beauveria bassiana, they

 make it possible to reduce population density to levels that do not cause economic damage. Thus, the present

 dissertation project aims to carry out seasonal monitoring of C. sordidus, in banana plantations of the Prata

 variety, under different altitudes and management, with the aim of identifying its presence, level of infestation

over time and the effectiveness of using Beauveria bassiana in pest control. The experiment will be conducted

 on four rural properties located in the municipality of Saquarema-RJ, with a randomized block design. Five

 “pseudo-stem in the clump” type traps will be used per property, four treated with the fungus B. bassiana

 and one as a control, with four replications, one for each season of the year. The effects of different altitudes

 on the occurrence of the pest will be evaluated. Among the expected results, a Field Day will be developed on

 the phytosanitary management of bananas, with a positive impact on the study environment, by promoting

 biological monitoring and control practices, strengthening sustainable agriculture. The technical product will

 be easy to apply, with potential for replicability to different groups of farmers. Innovation lies in the

 integration of scientific knowledge adapted to the local reality. The complexity lies in the coordination between

 different actors and the adaptation of practical solutions to the regional agricultural context.