The municipality of The RealejosCradle of the first potatoes arrived in Europe, began this Friday, March 3, a new campaign to distribute pheromone traps to fight against the harmful plague of the potato moth. the dreaded Tecia solanivora It is an insect accidentally introduced into Tenerife in 1999, which has been depleting potato harvests on the island for 24 years. This initiative, promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Government of the Canary Islandswith the support of City Hall of Los Realejosaims to keep a pest at bay that is capable of ruining more than half of the annual harvest.
The pheromone traps They are not the definitive solution, but they help to stop their proliferation since they attract and trap males and thus prevent the mating and breeding of this insect.
The Councilor for Rural Development of Los Realejos, Alexis Hernandez (PP), announced this week that starting yesterday potato farmers could start removing pheromones for pest control treatment. It is expected that around half a thousand doses will be distributed at the two usual points: the Icod de los Trigos Cooperativeduring its opening hours, and at the headquarters of the Montaña Limón Neighborhood Associationin Las Llanadas, in this case from Monday to Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
It is expected to distribute around half a thousand devices that attract males through pheromones
The mayor of Los Realejos, Adolfo González (PP), considers “it is very important to continue being close to those who work the land and who have been suffering for years from the devastating effects of this pest on the potato crop, attending to their demands and trying to facilitate this and other initiatives for its control. At harvest time we will also have specific containers for the selective disposal of affected potatoes, fighting for their eradication or trying to at least prevent their spread.”
“As in previous eradication campaigns, the application of these pheromones on the land will help farmers in this common task of combating the plague of the Guatemalan moth,” he says. alexis hernandezwho once again thanks the support from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Canarian Government in this complicated agricultural challenge.
The traps where these pheromones are located should be placed at about 30 meters away from each other of them, and always in the potato fields. When using the pheromones that attract this species, it is considered an absolutely safe system for other harmless insects and for the crops themselves, since it does not generate any contamination.
