Identifying and Controlling Avocado Pests in Myanmar

In Myanmar, the expanding avocado industry needed support to strengthen its capacity to identify, control, and manage common pests that harm crop yields. Therefore, the Myanmar Avocado Producer and Exporter Association (MAVO) requested a F2F volunteer to provide its members with guidance on pest mitigation with an emphasis on alternatives to pesticides. MAVO’s aim is to provide its associates with a selection of avocado varieties, and technical support in topics such as nursery production, pest and disease identification, post-harvest technology and market information. Since most of its members are young, they are very active and have been organizing the Avocado Festival and Competition since 2017. 

The recruited volunteer for this assignment was Dr. Jorge Peña, who has a BS in Agronomy, an MS in Entomology, a PhD in Entomology and is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Florida. He has worked in the past to determine the biology and seasonality of avocado loopers and biological control tactics, and has also developed sound management tactics to prevent key pests from reaching economic threshold levels. Thanks to his work some pests have ceased to be considered key pests for Florida avocados. 

Four weeks before the assignment the hosts provided Dr. Peña with an assortment of pictures of avocado insects and insect damage so he could use them to identify the main problems they were facing. In November 2020, the volunteer then directly trained more than 50 people through Zoom during four training sessions, each followed by a question-and-answer section. Additionally, his sessions were live-streamed through MAVO’s Facebook page, where they were watched by more than 14,200 people. 

The training topics were: 

1. Basic knowledge of insect feeding and pest damage, as well as basic steps to consider for integrated pest management on avocado. Focus on pests affecting roots. 
2. Pests affecting trunks and branches. 
3. Foliage pests. 
4. Pests of flowers and fruits, and summary. 

At the end of the assignment, MAVO members had a better idea of which pests were affecting their crops, which symptoms were caused by each pest, and how to prevent and control these. Additionally, Dr. Peña recommended that the avocado farmers frequently monitor their groves to prevent severe infestations by pests that result in yield loss. He also recommended that farmers alert MAVO of any findings in a timely fashion, so the association can support them in solving their pest problems. Thanks to Dr. Peña’s support, avocado farmers in Myanmar will have healthier crops and higher yields, which will result in increased profits.