Cuba Tobacco & Cigars

Control of Plagues & Illness

Control of insects

The cultivation of tobacco is highly susceptible to the noxious agents mainly to insects (plagues) and illnesses although they also provoke severe damages to the overgrowths.

That is why a system of fight against these agents to control them is necessary. We should highlight that the use of chemical substances, although in occasions it is justified and it is necessary, should be reduced at a minimum, because this substances affect the characteristics of the smoke and on the other hand, they can contribute to increment the aggressiveness produced by the smoke of tobacco affecting the human being's health.

It is good to highlight that the plant of tobacco produces a group of alkaloids, particularly the nicotine, that have insecticide effect and even under this condition in our province exist around seven species of these insects standing out among them:

Heliothis Virenscens F, known as Cogollero of Tobacco, this plague feeds from the buds and very young leaves causing significant perforations in the foliage of the plant.

Spodoptera Sunia, is known as Mantequilla (Butter), it affects the basal and inferior leaves.

Protoparse sp, This lepidopteron is the one that reaches the biggest size and in spite of that it doesn't cause severe damages.

Subterraneous Fertia, common name Cachazudo, it feeds from the leaves of the plant, it has night habits and stays in the soil, it is a lepidopteron and therefore its buccal apparatus is chewer. This plague in general doesn't cause severe damages.

Myzus Persicae, known as Pulgones and our peasants denominate it Piojillo because of its tiny size contrary to the previous ones that present chewer buccal apparatus and they are characterized for being of the type that bite and suck, although this plague has always been present in the plantations of tobacco it is not until the decade of the 90s that becomes a harmful insect not only because it sucks the sap to the plant, but also because it facilitates the appearance of an opportunist illness that is denominated Fumagina.

	Myzus Persicae

Heteroderes Laurenti, is a chewer plague that stays in the soil and produces significant damages to the radical system of the plant, the larvas constitute the harmful phase.

Lasioderma Serricorne, well-known in Cuba like Perforator of tobacco and Gorgojo of tobacco, this insect feeds from the stored leaves and it causes big damages in warehouses and even in rolled cigars when an integral system of fight is not carried out efficiently.

Integrated system for the control of insects (plagues)

An efficient integrated system of control of insects in tobacco is the angular stone to be able to produce the aromatic leaf with a high degree of environmental, economic and social sustainability that in turn implies to minimize the aggression to the environment and that guarantee the smoker a product of high quality with appropriate characteristic and a minimum of agro-toxics.
In the integrated fight the important thing is not to apply one or another measure, but that all those that be applied interact in an appropriate way, that is to say it is necessary to stimulate the synergetic effects on one hand and when necessary to stimulate the antagonistic ones. Next we relate the main elements that are kept in mind in Pinar del Rio to control in an integrated way the main plagues.

• The use of resistant varieties.
• Use of trap plants.
• Rotation of cultivations.
• General measures to increase biodiversity.
• Application of traps.
• Sowing of vegetable species repellent to insects.
• Application of chemical products of natural origin.
• Use of biological control
• Use of the masculine sterility (it is not still applied)
• Application of efficient system of works of cultural attentions to tobacco.
• Application of chemical products not very aggressive to the environment.

Links & Sources:

• www.guerrillero.co.cu