Distribuição e danos causados pela traça-das-castanhas ao cajueiro

Abstract

The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.) is one of the main options for the economic and social development of rural areas in the Northeast region, as it includes a crop well adapted to existing conditions. The chestnut moth (Anacampsis phytomiella) is considered the main pest during the cashew fruiting period as it completely destroys the nut kernel, the most economically important product of cashew farming. The external symptom of its attack is the appearance of a circular hole in the apical part of the nut, known as a holey nut. This work aimed to survey the occurrence of the chestnut moth and quantify the economic losses caused by the pest in some cashew-producing municipalities. The percentage of punctured nuts was calculated as a simple percentage taking into account the number of nuts harvested and the number of nuts with holes. The occurrence of the pest was found in municipalities in Pernambuco, Bahia, Maranhão, Piauí, Espírito Santo, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará. In Ceará, the plague was found in 19 municipalities. Considering the occurrence in ten municipalities in Ceará where the survey was carried out in various locations and at different periods of the production cycle, an average infestation of 12.15% of punctured nuts was found. Taking into account the total values ​​of the quantity produced and the production value, this pest would cause an estimated loss of 2,252.01 tons of nuts for the ten municipalities and an economic loss of R$ 10,719,567.60 reais. Based on the data collected, it is concluded that moth infestation may vary depending on the municipalities evaluated, the geographic location within the municipalities, the harvest period throughout the production cycle and depending on the genetic material cultivated (common or dwarf cashew tree). ). In this sense, for the establishment of Integrated Moth Management, monitoring its occurrence in cashew orchards must be a primary practice for establishing rational and effective management.