SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 31 Aug. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Association of Farmers and Ranchers of the Canary Islands (Asaga Canarias Asaja) warns of the “uncontrolled” expansion through the archipelago of the Mexican cochineal (Dactylopyus opuntaie), an aggressive pest that parasitizes and ends up withering the prickly pears.
This parasite was detected for the first time in La Palma (Fuencaliente) in 2010, although it is currently also present in Tenerife and Lanzarote.
The concern is “maximum”, they point out from the association, because it is feared that the destructive effects caused by the Mexican cochineal on the prickly pears will end up extinguishing this species -adapted to the insular edaphoclimatic conditions and not very demanding in terms of water and management- which has historically been obtained cochineal -Dactylopyus coccus, a parasite that lives with its host, but does not kill it- for the production of natural dye that has the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
In addition, its fruit, the pico fig, has been and is part of the diet of the canaries while the shovels or pencas are used as food for livestock or even for smoking cheese.
Experts consulted by Asaga point out that visually, infected plants are characterized by a dense cottony secretion that, after a while, ends up weakening and killing the prickly pear. “If the shovel or penca has a degree of infection greater than 75%, there is no recovery,” they point out.
In this way, the prickly pear, belonging to the cactus family, is classified as an invasive exotic species in the Canary Islands.
In fact, it can be found scattered throughout the countryside or on farms where farmers are defenseless as they do not have the means to combat this pest since, officially, there is no registered phytosanitary product for its control.
PRESSURE WATER AND SCRAPING
The only permitted practices, Asaga indicates, are the application of pressurized water and the scraping of the leaves for cleaning, the use of potassium soap, paraffin oil or through the release of natural enemies on which further investigation is still necessary. .
These methods have managed to save some plants, but they have not slowed down the advance of this parasitoid that the wind favors its dispersion, it spreads at great speed and is very prolific.
Even so, there is no evidence that the Mexican cochineal can affect the native flora or other crops.
For the general secretary of Asaga Canarias Asaja, Theo Hernando, “it is necessary for farmers to have information and training to know how to act in order to control the expansion of this insect pest.”
In his opinion, “the use of the prickly pear is part of our culture, but it could also become an attractive activity to diversify our sector given the potential of the different products obtained and even the transformation of its fruits into fourth range as is investigating, hence the need to establish a plan to protect it”.
According to the Canary Islands Statistics Institute (Istac) there are a total of 154 hectares of prickly pear on the islands, of which 37.38 are in Tenerife, about nine fewer than in 2015.
The municipality of Buenavista, with 12.38 hectares, has the highest concentration of prickly pears on the island. In La Palma, the controlled area is 12.5 hectares and in Lanzarote, 13.8 hectares, while Gran Canaria has 50 hectares and Fuerteventura 27.3 hectares.
A MULTIPURPOSE PLANT
Recent research indicates that the entire plant can be used for different purposes from the prickly pear.
Thus, the shovels or pencas can be used as vegetables for human consumption, the mucilage (fiber), in the manufacture of creams, bioplastics or biopolymers and the flower is suitable for the preparation of herbal teas and oil for cosmetic use can be extracted from the seeds. .
In addition, from the environmental point of view, it becomes an ally against global warming given its ability to capture CO2.
