Infestação e frequência de ocorrência de acaro-alaranjado-do-abacaxizeiro (dolichotatranychus floridanus) no município de Araçagi, agreste paraibano

Abstract

The pineapple plant (Ananas comosus) is a crop of great economic importance in Brazil, especially in the Northeast, where it faces phytosanitary challenges such as infestation by the false spider mite (Dolichotetranychus floridanus). This pest reduces fruit quality and affects production profitability, being favored by climatic conditions and inadequate management. In the Agreste region of Paraíba, the lack of studies hinders the development of efficient control strategies. Integrated methods—chemical, biological, and cultural—are recommended, despite concerns about resistance to acaricides. Technologies such as remote sensing and artificial intelligence can enhance pest monitoring and management. In this context, this study aims to analyze the infestation and frequency of occurrence of D. floridanus in pineapple plantation in the Agreste of Paraíba. Sampling was carried out on April 1, 2025 (end of the vegetative phase) and May 2, 2025 (beginning of the reproductive phase), in a commercial pineapple orchard cv. Pérola, located in Sítio Piabas, Araçagi-PB, without the use of insecticides. The study was carried out on 100 plants distributed in 10 plots within an area of 2.37 hectares. In each plot, 10 plants were randomly evaluated by leaf detachment or uprooting. The infestation and frequency of damage by orange pineapple mite (D. floridanus) was observed. Geographic coordinates of each plot were recorded using GPS. The occurrence of the pineapple orange mite has a high spatial pattern of expansion. The joint analysis of the absolute frequency and the average number of injuries per point provides a broader understanding of the dynamics of the pest, which is crucial for the design of more effective and sustainable management strategies. The orange mite infestation was high in the vegetative and reprodutive phases of the pineapple plant, but was more uniform and intense in the dry and flowering periods. This indicates that these conditions favor the pest. Therefore, control should be reinforced especially in this phase, to avoid production losses.