Biological effectiveness of organic and inorganic products for the management of Maconellicoccus hirsutus green in soursop crop

Abstract The pink mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus Green is a pest of economic importance in various crops around the world. The objective was to determine the biological effectiveness of organic and inorganic products for the management of M. hirsutus in the soursop crop. The experiment was carried out in the communities of “Lima de Abajo” and “El Capomo”, in the municipality of Compostela, Nayarit, Mexico, during the period from September to November 2018 and from July to August 2019. The treatments were Ara3, Inter-a-ch-c, Evolution, a complex of plant extracts (Capsicum chinense + Allium sativum + Allium cepa + Artemisia absinthium), Mos Blanc® (Imidacloprid), farmers’ control (Detergent Blanca Nieves® + Sodium Hypochlorite Cloralex®) and the absolute control (Water). The nymphs and adult females of M. hirsutus were counted after each application, in young shoots. The results showed that in “Lima de Abajo”, Ara 3 registered the highest percentage of suppression after 28 days. In “El Capomo”, Imidacloprid recorded the greatest suppression after 28 days of application. In both communities, the treatments Ara 3, Evolution and Imidacloprid registered the least number of living individuals. The results indicated that Ara 3 and Evolution were the most promising alternatives in the management against M. hirsutus in the crop.