Major Artichoke Pests (Cynara cardunculus sub. scolymus L.) in Coquimbo Region, Chile

Favorable climatic conditions for the cultivation of artichoke (Cynara cardunculus sub. scolymus L.), present in the coastal area of the Coquimbo Region (lat. 29-32 degrees S; long. 71 degrees 55'W) has enabled the development of several potential pest species in globe artichoke. Systematic monitoring carried out since 2009 has resulted in the identification of species that could affect the crop and cause severe damage. Studies have also been oriented to evaluate pest management strategies of those species of economic importance, but these are not concluded. To date results indicate that major pests associated to artichokes in the Region are the caterpillar Copitarsia decolora (Guenee), the looper Syngrapha gammoides (Blanchard), the cutworm Agrotis bilitura (Guenee); the aphids Capitophorus elaeagni (del Guercio), Aphis fabae Scopoli, Dysaphis cynerea (Theobald) and Aphis gossypii (Glover); the thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande); the leafminer fly Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard); snails and slugs, Helix aspersa (Muller), Deroceras reticulatum (Muller) and the mite Tetranychus urticae (Koch). Integrated pest management includes sanitation practices, like removing old infested leaves, and incorporating plant debris into the soil after plant cutback, weekly monitoring of the main pests especially during the ends of winter and spring, along with the use of selective insecticides when these are necessary.