Relatos e percepção sobre a introdução de Cotesia flavipes (Cameron, 1891) (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE) no estado de Alagoas

Abstract

Brazil is considered to be the major sugarcane producer around the world, significantly contributing for agribusiness PIB. One of the main pests on sugarcane crops, the sugarcane stem borer, in Diatraea genus, are capable of expressive yield losses, through direct and indirect damages. At Integrated Pest Management (IPM), the control of Diatraea spp. is mainly performed by biological control, with the inoculation of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia flavipes (Cameron, 1981) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). The classical introduction of C. flavipesin Brazil is from de decade of 70, through the extinct PLANALSUCAR in Alagoas state. Thus, the present study aimed to rescue the history and perceptions of the classical introduction and use of C. flavipes in the state of Alagoas, through semi structured interviews with sources indicated by professors and researches from CECA/UFAL. As some results, a collective subject discourse was elaborated to historically contextualize the classical introduction of C. flavipes, besides analyzing the perception of the actual situation of the biological control program at Alagoas state, using the content analysis technique, with four categories: (1) climate influence; (2); phytosanitary factors; (3) economic and environmental factors; (4) technical factors.

Key words: Content analysis, collective subject discourse, sugarcane stem borer, biological control.