Abstract
The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation in Alto Beni, Bolivia. The most common control method is the manual removal of the nymphs. This practice is time-consuming, and therefore farmers often do not follow it. Hence there is an urgent need for more efficient practices to control this important pest. This study evaluated the pathogenicity of two strains of Beauveria bassiana for the control of Monalonion dissimulatum on cocoa: a non-native, commercialised strain (Probiobass MR, Probiotec S.R.L.), and a locally isolated, native strain of Alto Beni, which is not yet commercialised. Moreover, a silicon-based product (TECSIL PMR) was tested. In addition, the effect of different degrees of infestation with Monalonion dissimulatum on different stages of cocoa pod development was examined. In order to investigate these questions, several field trials were carried out at the experimental station of Sapecho between June and September 2013. The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain was the most effective bio-pesticide with a mortality rate of 63.3% in adults and 49.1% in nymphs. Cocoa pods in their early stages of development were highly susceptible to attack by Monalonion dissimulatum. On the other hand, fully developed cocoa pods showed a rather strong resistance to attacks: no effects on cocoa wet bean yield were recorded up to about 70% of damaged tissue on the surface of the cocoa pods. However, when the damage increased above 70 %, it had a strong impact on yield, amounting up to 50.4% loss. Damaged pods started desiccating, and fully damaged pods completely desiccated causing total yield loss. It is concluded that the foreign strain of Beauveria bassiana may be the most efficient to control Monalonion dissimulatum in the field. More on-farm field trials need to be conducted over longer time periods of time in order to elucidate whether the observed effects will be reflected in higher cocoa yields in the farmer’s context. It is recommended to perform harvesting operations at regular intervals of two weeks in order to minimise losses caused by the desiccation of damaged cocoa pods.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain gave the highest adult mortality rate, 63.3%, against the cocoa mirid.
- Taxon
- cocoa
Theobroma cacaoe0 - Organ / stage
- adultse1
- Treatment
- foreign Beauveria bassiana straine1
- Interactor
- Monalonion dissimulatumMonalonion dissimulatume0pest
- Second interactor
- Beauveria bassiana
Beauveria bassianae1biocontrol_agent - Outcome
- mortality ratee1
- Direction
- most effectivee1
- Value
- 63.3%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e1“The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain was the most effective bio-pesticide with a mortality rate of 63.3% in adults and 49.1% in nymphs”
Claim · model-written summary
The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain gave the highest nymph mortality rate, 49.1%, against the cocoa mirid.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Organ / stage
- nymphse1
- Treatment
- foreign Beauveria bassiana straine1
- Interactor
- Monalonion dissimulatumMonalonion dissimulatume0pest
- Second interactor
- Beauveria bassianaBeauveria bassianae1biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- mortality ratee1
- Direction
- most effectivee1
- Value
- 49.1%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e1“The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain was the most effective bio-pesticide with a mortality rate of 63.3% in adults and 49.1% in nymphs”
Claim · model-written summary
Early-stage cocoa pods were highly susceptible to attack by the cocoa mirid.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Organ / stage
- early stages of developmente2
- Interactor
- Monalonion dissimulatumMonalonion dissimulatume2pest
- Outcome
- highly susceptible to attacke2
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e2“Cocoa pods in their early stages of development were highly susceptible to attack by Monalonion dissimulatum”
Claim · model-written summary
Fully developed cocoa pods showed a rather strong resistance to attacks.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Organ / stage
- fully developed cocoa podse3
- Outcome
- resistance to attackse3
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e3“fully developed cocoa pods showed a rather strong resistance to attacks”
Claim · model-written summary
No effect on cocoa wet bean yield was recorded up to about 70% damaged pod tissue.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Treatment
- damaged tissue on the surface of the cocoa podse4
- Outcome
- wet bean yielde4
- Direction
- no effectse4
- Qualifier
- up to about 70%e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e4“no effects on cocoa wet bean yield were recorded up to about 70% of damaged tissue on the surface of the cocoa pods”
Claim · model-written summary
Damage above 70 % of pod surface had a strong impact on cocoa yield, with yield loss up to 50.4%.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Treatment
- damage increased above 70 %e5
- Outcome
- yielde5
- Direction
- decreaseinferrede5
- Value
- 50.4%e5
- Qualifier
- strong impacte5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e5“when the damage increased above 70 %, it had a strong impact on yield, amounting up to 50.4% loss”
Claim · model-written summary
Fully damaged cocoa pods completely desiccated, causing total yield loss.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Treatment
- fully damaged podse6
- Outcome
- yield losse6
- Direction
- decreaseinferrede6
- Qualifier
- totale6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e6“fully damaged pods completely desiccated causing total yield loss”
Claim · model-written summary
Damaged cocoa pods started desiccating.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Organ / stage
- Damaged podse7
- Outcome
- desiccatinge7
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e7“Damaged pods started desiccating”
Claim · model-written summary
The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain may be the most efficient option to control the cocoa mirid in the field.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Treatment
- foreign strain of Beauveria bassianae1
- Interactor
- Monalonion dissimulatumMonalonion dissimulatume1pest
- Second interactor
- Beauveria bassianaBeauveria bassianae1biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- control Monalonion dissimulatume1
- Qualifier
- may be the most efficiente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e1“It is concluded that the foreign strain of Beauveria bassiana may be the most efficient to control Monalonion dissimulatum in the field”
Claim · model-written summary
Harvesting operations at regular two-week intervals are recommended to minimise losses caused by desiccation of damaged cocoa pods.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Treatment
- harvesting operations at regular intervals of two weekse1
- Outcome
- losses caused by the desiccation of damaged cocoa podse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) is one of the major pests in cocoa cultivation”
e1“It is recommended to perform harvesting operations at regular intervals of two weeks in order to minimise losses caused by the desiccation of damaged cocoa pods”