El problema de la peca en cultivos de aguacate (Persea americana Mill.) del norte del Tolima, Colombia

Abstract

The spot (common name) is currently the main phytosanitary problem in avocado plantations of northern Tolima. In Colombia, information about its causal agent and the external factors that foster its development is scarse,which lead us to carry on a preliminary research. In three avocado farms of Fresno municipality, the severity of the spot in Lorena cultivar fruits was evaluated by using five types of barriers and a control, from the inflorescence phase to the developed fruit. The symptoms of the “avocado spot” in Lorena’ cultivar were characterized. Samples from different plant organs were sent to four diagnostic laboratories. Besides, in ten farms of Fresno municipality,the severity of the spot was measured on Lorena, Hass and Choquette cultivars by carrying out bi-weekly samplings.Simultaneously, in eleven farms in Fresno, the culture labors,pesticides, production costs and incomes were recorded.The treatment that was significantly different from the control was the fungicide application. The phytopathological diagnosis identified two pathogens, Glomerella sp. (Anamorphic:Colletotrichum sp.) and Cercospora sp. related to the spot symptoms. The Lorena cultivar was the most affected by “the spot”, it caused an increase of 3.65 % of the production costs to growers and the crop incomes decreased 21.65 % due to fruits with “spot” symptoms. An environmental impact was perceived as a result of the grower lack of awareness about the problem.