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 ecient 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 PM R ) was tested. In addition, the eect of dierent degrees of infestation with Monalonion dissimulatum on dierent 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 eective 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 eects 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 ecient 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 eects 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 8
Claim · model-written summary
The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain gave 63.3% mortality of adult cocoa mirids.
- Taxon
- Cocoa Miridt0
- Treatment
- foreign Beauveria bassiana straine0
- Interactor
- Beauveria bassiana
Beauveria bassianae0biocontrol_agent - Outcome
- mortality ratee0
- Direction
- most eectivee0
- Value
- 63.3%e0
- Comparator
- most eective bio-pesticidee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain was the most eective bio-pesticide with a mortality rate of 63.3% in adults and 49.1% in nymphs.”
t0“Cocoa Mirid”
Claim · model-written summary
The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain gave 49.1% mortality of mirid nymphs.
- Taxon
- Cocoa Miridt0
- Treatment
- foreign Beauveria bassiana straine0
- Interactor
- Beauveria bassianaBeauveria bassianae0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- mortality ratee0
- Direction
- most eectivee0
- Value
- 49.1%e0
- Comparator
- most eective bio-pesticidee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The foreign Beauveria bassiana strain was the most eective bio-pesticide with a mortality rate of 63.3% in adults and 49.1% in nymphs.”
t0“Cocoa Mirid”
Claim · model-written summary
Early cocoa pods were highly susceptible to mirid attack.
- Taxon
- Cocoa
Theobroma cacaoe0 - Organ / stage
- pods in their early stages of developmente0
- Interactor
- Monalonion dissimulatumMonalonion dissimulatume0pest
- Outcome
- highly susceptible to attacke0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“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 strong resistance to mirid attacks.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Organ / stage
- fully developed cocoa podse0
- Outcome
- strong resistance to attackse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fully developed cocoa pods showed a rather strong resistance to attacks”
Claim · model-written summary
Up to about 70% surface damage had no recorded effect on cocoa wet bean yield.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Organ / stage
- cocoa podse0
- Outcome
- cocoa wet bean yielde0
- Direction
- no eectse0
- Value
- 70%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no eects 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% was associated with up to 50.4% cocoa yield loss.
- Taxon
- CocoaTheobroma cacaot0
- Organ / stage
- damagee0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- losse0
- Value
- 50.4%e0
- Qualifier
- damage increased above 70%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“when the damage increased above 70%, it had a strong impact on yield, amounting up to 50.4% loss”
t0“Cocoa”
Claim · model-written summary
Damaged cocoa pods desiccated, and fully damaged pods completely desiccated with total yield loss.
- Taxon
- CocoaTheobroma cacaot0
- Organ / stage
- podse0
- Outcome
- desiccatinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Damaged pods started desiccating, and fully damaged pods completely desiccated causing total yield loss.”
t0“Cocoa”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend harvesting every two weeks to reduce losses from desiccated cocoa pods.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Outcome
- harvesting operations at regular intervals of two weekse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“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.”