Author Name: Carribean Channel, Cuba TV.
This story was originally published on canalcaribe.ict.cu. [1]

Investigate plague that has caused damage to bean plantations in Cuba
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Experts from the Center for Agricultural Research of the Central University Marta Abreu de Las Villas conduct studies on megalurothrips usitatus (bean flower thrip), an insect that has caused severe damage to grain plantations in Cuba in recent months.

The affectation is of magnitude because it affects the plant since the floral button begins According to the master Víctor Gil Díaz, researcher and Assistant Professor of the house of high studies of Villa Clara, the affectation is of great magnitude because it affects the plant since the floral button begins, it stimulates the fall of the flower due to the scraping food habit of the agent, which results in the seed not being produced and the foliage weakened completely.

He specified that legumes superficially acquire an aspect of scab, which sometimes affects their quality. He also said that it is an insect that is known to have never been a plague of high economic cost for beans. Dr. Raciel Lima Orozco, dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Las Villas, said that in this complex situation, the specialists of the institution began identifying the characteristics of the different varieties of the germplasm bank of the common bean crop and cowpea to find cultivars with tolerance to the manifestations and incidents of the plague.

Biological controls and already determine the integrated management protocol

In addition, studies of biological controls are begun and already determine the protocol for integrated pest management to stimulate the proliferation of natural enemies. He explained that among the proposals for control is the crop interspersed with sorghum and corn, the use of natural products such as neem leaf extract (well known by peasants as an insect repellent) and warned that they have found susceptibility to the pest in some commercial cultivars of cowpea beans, however, no problems are evident for peas and chickpeas.

The Cuban Ministry of Agriculture reported that among the most affected territories in the country are Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus and Ciego de Ávila. Additionally, he stressed that of some 13 thousand 533 hectares, due to the effects of megalurothrips usitatus, demolitions have been taken without harvesting around 7,792.

(C) Cuba TV, Cuban state owned media.
[1] Url: https://www.canalcaribe.icrt.cu/en/investigate-plague-that-has-caused-damage-to-bean-plantations-in-cuba/