Identification and Control of Whitefly in the Field

The presence of whitefly (Aleyrodidae) in crops has caused growing concern among producers due to direct and indirect damages caused by the insect. According to agronomic engineer Maiara Franzoni, in a publication on the Aegro Blog, the pest affects various crops by sucking plant sap, compromising crop development and reducing productivity and quality. According to Franzoni, "the whitefly life cycle varies from 38 to 74 days, and a single female can lay 100 to 300 eggs during her lifetime, which favors large-scale infestations." Insect identification is facilitated by visual characteristics: pale yellow body and white wings. Among the main attacked crops are beans, soybeans, and cotton, in addition to the pest's permanence in weeds during the off-season, which makes breaking its biological cycle difficult. Damages can be direct, such as discoloration, leaf spots, leaf silvering, and premature leaf fall. There are also indirect damages when whitefly acts as a vector of viruses that ...