Development and Application of Ecological Practices in Pest Management to Increase the Sustainable Production of Potatoes for Low-Income Farmers in the Andean Regions of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru

The potato is the main food of the Andean settlers. The Andean weevil (Premnotrypes spp.) and potato moths (Phthorimaea operculella, Symmetrischema tangolias, Tecia solanivora) are the key pests that limit production and harvest quality in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. Without control, the losses of these pests can reach more than 50% during the field phase, and up to 80% during the storage phase. Potato moths and Andean weevils are estimated to produce losses of up to US $ 500-1000 per ha per year. Farmers use very toxic insecticides, putting their health and the environment at risk. To contribute to the solution of the problem, CIP and its collaborators from Ecuador and Bolivia, within the framework of the project financed by FONTAGRO, have managed to develop a new Integrated Management strategy with new ecological tools to reduce the use of insecticides.