Use of bioinsecticide and sugarcane molasses in the management of Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) and Metamasius spp. (Horn)

Abstract

Banana ( Musa spp.) is one of the most consumed fruits in the world, being of great economic importance to Brazil. However, insect pest attack has limited its production. This study aimed to monitor the populations of Cosmopolites sordidus and Metamasius spp. in areas of cultivation of bananas cv. Pacovan using a food attractant and a bioinsecticide in order to control their populations. The research was carried out in three rural properties, where roof tile-type baits made of pseudostems of banana trees, containing the treatments Boveril® (bioinsecticide – Beauveria bassiana ); sugarcane molasses; and the control treatment were set up. The baits, placed beside the clumps, were replaced every two weeks, and the adult insects were removed and counted weekly. Insect infestation was analyzed as a function of the treatments used in the baits, as well as of the influence of weather conditions on the banana weevil borer populations in the three properties. The randomized blocks experimental design was used, in a 3x5 factorial design (treatments and months of evaluation). The treatment-free baits were as efficient in collecting banana weevil borers as those containing the bioinsecticide and sugarcane molasses. The successive captures of C. sordidus with the use of the roof tile-type baits reduced the number of insects without the need for chemical control; the behavior of Metamasius spp. may have been influenced by local weather conditions; in two properties, two- to three-fold more individuals of Metamasius spp were captured in relation to C. sordidus , indicating high infestation of Metamasius spp. in the cultivar Pacovan.