SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF ANTHRACNOSE IN AVOCADO (Persea americana Mill.) IN DONATO GUERRA, MEXICO

Abstract

Anthracnose is a fungal disease caused by Colletotrichum spp. that affects the avocado (Persea americana Mill.) crop and causes significant economic losses in the farming sector. To focus control measures, it is important to understand the spatial distribution and the dynamics followed by the disease under field conditions. The use of methods derived from spatial statistics facilitates this task. The aim of this study was to determine the spatial behavior of anthracnose in Persea americana Mill. cv. Hass in Donato Guerra, a municipality in the State of Mexico, Mexico, using a geostatistical and spatial analysis by distance indices. Four hundred trees were selected and georeferenced in the municipal area. In order to measure the incidence, 48 fruits were selected from every tree. Using these data, the experimental semivariogram was estimated, and adjustments were made to models that explain the spatial arrangement. Maps were created using ordinary kriging, and the infection area was estimated. The maps generated show the presence of aggregation centers and a spatial distribution mostly fitting Gaussian and exponential models, with ranges fluctuating between 12 and 56 m, indicating spatial association between data. Likewise, the greatest percentage of infected areas was 98 %, while the lowest was 45 %. Geostatistics enables a precise understanding of the distribution patterns of diseases such as anthracnose in avocado-growing areas of the State of Mexico, which facilitates the implementation of integrated management programs with greater effectiveness.