For the first time in 30 years, since the Plant Health Committee (formerly the Biological Control Committee) began to operate, this scenario was opened to the active participation of this group of cane growers.
With an open discussion on sanitary management in sugarcane cultivation, the Plant Health Committee began a new stage with the participation of sugarcane suppliers.
For a whole morning, on July 8, suppliers, personnel from the sugar mills and researchers from Cenicaña discussed the importance of integral crop management, the implementation of measures to diagnose the presence or attack of diseases and pests in sugar cane. and the different alternatives to improve its study and control. Likewise, they took advantage of the meeting to update themselves on the symptoms of the main diseases, in a practical exercise.
Enrique Villegas, supplier of the Manuelita sugar mill, stressed that there are currently many new varieties that are multiplying, and the sector must be prepared for their sanitary management.
Likewise, Santiago Durán, Riopaila supplier, highlighted the role of growers in the Committee, “it is a way of interacting with direct knowledge, with the source of the research. In addition, we can serve as a means to convince other growers to adopt technologies, in this particular case, for the management of diseases and pests ”.
Finally, Armando González, supply assistant at the Mayagüez sugar mill, highlighted that currently the sugar sector is in a "relative state of comfort" because there are no major attacks of pests or outbreaks of diseases that generate alerts and a efficient control, but scenarios such as the Plant Health Committee are essential so that all the actors involved are prepared for the management of the crop in the event of any eventuality.
Contact:
Margarita Rodriguez
Technical Communicator - Cenicaña
mmrodriguez@cenicana.org
(57-602) 5246611 ext 5168 - 5169
Cali, Columbia.