Study of the necessity for integrated management of the coffee berry borer in the departament of Antioquia

Abstract

Studies of adoption and technological impact raise the efficiency and effectiveness of the research systems and technology transference. The objective of this study was to find the needs, successes, and mistakes that the major coffee cultivators of Antioquia present in the integrated handling of coffee berry borer (IMB). We studied a sample size of 89 farms that were assigned proportionally in 27 municipalities and were selected randomly. We also implemented a personal inquest on each farm. The variables were analyzed by frequency list and central tendency sizes (medium, mode, moderate). The advanced age of the coffee cultivators, their low formal education level, and the predominance of contracted workmanship constitute menaces for the concept and the functioning of the IMB. 79% of the coffee cultivators have been instructed in berry borer management.70% know the critical period of time of the fruit development in order to attack the berry borer. and 36% do not keep accounts of the bloom. The most used lMB component is the Re-Re (96%), followed by insecticide (80%), infest level (68%), bloom registration (64%), entomopathogenic fungi (15%) and parasitoids (9%). The insecticide used in 80% of the cases is endosulfan. The Re-Re has been the main success of the berry borer campaign. 57% of the coffee cultivators consider it the principal component of the IMB. The partial adoption of the components of the lMB and the incorrect use of the insecticide component shows that the technology transference can not be considered finished.