2004. Abstracts. XXII International Congress of Entomology, 15-21 August 2004. Brisbane, Australia

Considering, the spread use of Trichogramma in IPM programs all over the world, the objective of this study was to test the parasitism efficiency of Trichogramma when used to control Lepidoptera-pests of cotton and its potential to be used as a tool in cotton IPM of MT, Brazil. Two plots of one hectare each (management using Trichogramma and conventional management) were set up in Primavera do Leste, Campo Verde and Novo Sao Joaquim County, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. From week zero (before parasitoid release) on, it was released 100,000 wasps/ha/week on the plots managed with Trichogramma. Both plots were evaluated every time that the parasitoids were released until harvest and the insect-pests densities, the number of non-parasitized and parasitized eggs of the cotton leafworm and of the tobacco budworm, as well as the number of parasitoids and predators were recorded. The results showed that a greater number of predators and parasitoids were found in the plots that were managed with Trichogramma than in the plots that were managed without Trichogramma. Both plots showed high rates of parasitism, achieving 100% in some points of evaluation.