Effective pest management targeting insects that degrade fruit cosmetic quality and yield is a critical determinant of sustainability and competitiveness for Ecuador’s premier export commodity: bananas. Within this framework, the oral defense was held for the postgraduate thesis in the Master’s Program in Applied Biosciences with a concentration in Biodiscovery, presented by researcher Brisny Camila Zarate Puga.
The thesis, titled “Evaluation of the efficiency of different insecticide-treated bags in the management of bunch phytophagous pests and banana yield enhancement,” was conducted under the academic supervision of Lisbeth Espinoza, Ph.D., with co-advising by Johanna Ortiz, Ph.D.
The examination committee was chaired by Ana Tirapé Bajaña, Ph.D., alongside evaluating faculty members Diego Quito, Ph.D., and Efren Santos, Ph.D., who commended the methodological rigor and field applicability of the findings.
The study evaluated the technical and protective performance of distinct formulations and designs of insecticide-treated polyethylene bags deployed during bunch bagging (enfunde). It assessed their efficacy in controlling phytophagous pests (such as thrips, mealybugs, and scale insects) and measured their direct influence on agronomic yield and bunch parameters. These findings provide actionable technical benchmarks for the banana agribusiness, guiding evidence-based decisions to optimize phytosanitary inputs while meeting rigorous international export standards.
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