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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #282728
Title: Stable Fly Project in Campo Grande, Brazil

Author
item Hogsette, Jerome - Jerry
item Perez De Leon, Adalberto - Beto
item Li, Andrew
item FOIL, LANE - Louisiana State University

Submitted to: Livestock Insect Worker's Conference Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2012
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Andrew Li, Jerry Hogsette, and Beto Perez de Leon, all USDA, and Lane Foil, LSU, are collaborating as consultants on an Embrapa-funded research project for the control of large stable fly populations associated with sugar cane production in Brazil. Our Brazilian counterpart, Dr. Paulo Cançado, is the Principal Investigator at the Embrapa- Beef Cattle Research Station in Campo Grande, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, about 600 miles northwest of Sao Paulo in the southern part of the country. Two of the U.S. team members, Drs. Andrew Li and Jerry Hogsette, met with Dr. Cançado in Campo Grande to visit sugar mill field sites and discuss an action plan for the project during a two-week trip to Campo Grande from May 6-21, 2012. The first week of the visit was spent in the field with Dr. Cançado visiting two large sugar mills in the southern part of the state. We had informal meetings with the operations manager and his staff several times at the Adecoagro sugar mill near Angelica. Cane was being grown on approximately 120,000 acres. We were given a comprehensive tour of the mill to see where the various products, e.g. sugar and ethanol, and by-products, e.g. vinhaça and filter cake, were produced. The sugarcane wastes and by-products and their perceived influence on stable fly problems were discussed. We visited sugarcane fields, observed the harvesting process, investigated possible fly breeding sites in fields, inspected post-harvest fields where vinhaça had been applied, and inspected rows of composting filter cake for the presence of stable fly immature stages (eggs, larvae, and pupae). In anticipation of future fly monitoring programs, we showed the sugar mill staff how to set up sticky fly traps in the field. Several fly traps were set up at two locations on opposite sides of the sugar mill and an average of 5 to 10 stable fly adults was captured in about 18 hours. A second sugar mill, ETH at Nova Alvorada do Sul, was visited later in the week. Cane was being grown on approximately 80,000 acres and only ethanol was being produced at this mill. Similar discussions were had with staff and mill and field sites were visited. Personnel at both sugar mills recognized the seriousness of stable fly problem and the need to develop suitable control techniques. Several cattle ranches near the sugar mills were visited so we could to talk with producers about the stable fly problems. Besides talking with producers, we had the opportunity to see the fly species associated with the cattle (primarily stable flies and horn flies) and the pesticides used by the producers for fly management. Several fly-related projects were discussed with Dr. Cançado, mainly trapping to determine stable fly seasonality, spatial distribution and flight patterns, and field and laboratory projects to determine the ability of stable flies to develop in the two main by-products, vinhaça and filter cake, by themselves and when mixed with soil and or chopped cane. Final projects will be determined by all team members together. Dr. Cançado is in the process of colonizing stable flies to use in a number of projects.