Brazil: New caterpillar species attack Bt soy

Published Mar 22, 2023

Tridge summary

A new species of caterpillar, Rachiplusia nu, is causing significant damage to soybeans in Brazil, even in those with Bt biotechnology, which should provide resistance. The caterpillar has the ability to defoliate plants, leading to potential losses of up to 30%. The problem has worsened in the 2022-23 harvest due to increased pest pressure and average temperature rise in producing regions. However, AgBiTech Brasil is planning to launch a technology later this year to control naked Rachiplusia. Baculoviruses have also been found to be effective against this pest.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

A 'new' species of caterpillar has been attacking soybeans with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) biotechnology – which should confer resistance to the pest. According to an alert from specialists, it is Rachiplusia nu, which appeared under high pressure in several points of the Brazilian agricultural frontier and is characterized by the plant's high defoliation power. “From what we noticed, the caterpillar pressure increases crop after season and the trend is that this will become a new problem. Rachiplusia nu is an important defoliator. It leads to a decrease in the crop's leaf area and potential losses of around 30%”, points out Germison Tomquelski, a researcher at Desafios Agro, in Chapadão do Sul (MS). According to Tomquelski, the central region of the country, including Mato Grosso do Sul, was one of the areas most affected by the caterpillar. “There are still cases located in Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Mato Grosso and Paraná”, observes the researcher who, after traveling ...

Source: Agrolink