Degree of infestation of red belt thrips in cashew clones intercropped with fruit trees / Grau de infestação do tripes-da-cinta-vermelha em clones de cajueiro consorciados com fruteiras

Abstract

Among the species of phytophagous thrips that attack the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale), the red belt thrips (Selenotripes rubrocinctus) is the species of greatest economic importance due to the damage it causes, the wide geographical distribution, and the attack of the cashew tree in all ages of the plant, This work aimed to evaluate the degree of infestation of red belt thrips in dwarf cashew clones CCP 76, BRS 226, BRS 189, in field conditions, intercropped with three different fruit trees, at the Experimental Field of Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, in the municipality of Pacajus-CE, Brazil. The evaluation of the attack in the three genotypes was based on a system that recommends using grades that varied from one to five when it was verified in the plant. The cashew clones were arranged in four blocks where each clone was intercropped with banana, watermelon, and papaya, in addition to the control treatment (single cashew). Five consecutive evaluations were carried out during the period from September 29 to December 19, 2017. The study showed that pest infestations were more intense in cashew trees intercropped with fruit trees, whereas in the consortium with banana trees, the intensity of the attack was higher than in consortia with other fruit trees. This result is probably due to the environmental conditions imposed by the greater shade of the banana trees. Over the evaluation period, infestations showed a slight downward trend for the three clones evaluated. The BRS 226 clone proved to be the most preferred by thrips in conditions of intercropping with banana.