The plague of Mexican cochineal that, for months, has been affecting the prickly pears of Guatiza and Mala is not controlled and, according to the Government of the Canary Islands, will be "very difficult" to control. In addition, it has already affected the Cactus Garden, although in this case it has only done so "minimally". "For the moment there is nothing to be scared of," said Benjamín Perdomo, CEO of the Tourist Centers.
However, with respect to the situation of the Mexican cochineal on the island, the Plant Health Service of the General Directorate of Agriculture of the regional executive has warned that "those prickly pear trees that do not receive care or are abandoned, this plague will end up destroying them."
According to what they have explained from this department of the Canarian Government, the first time that a plague of Mexican cochineal was detected in the Canary Islands was "in 2010 in La Palma, although as of today it is also found in Tenerife and Lanzarote without having been controlled "in any of the affected islands."
"The prickly pear, in many areas of the Canary Islands, is not a crop for use. They usually grow and develop on the slopes of ravines and in areas with limited accessibility, so the control of the plague, in these cases, is very difficult," they pointed out from the Regional Executive. However, from the Plant Health Service they have affirmed that "in those prickly pear trees that receive the recommended care, the probability of survival is practically 100%.
Call to citizenship
Thus, the Regional Executive insists on the importance of "taking care" of the prickly pear trees and that the owners who have them cultivated keep them "in good phytosanitary condition". Likewise, it is pointed out that "citizen collaboration is important to avoid the transfer of plant material."
And, although it is unknown how the cochineal could have arrived in the Canary Islands and Lanzarote, it is pointed out that "the arrival of a new plague to a territory usually occurs through the introduction of material. However, it is pointed out that "in this case, the strange thing is that this type of plant material (prickly pears) is not imported to the Canary Islands."
Treatment in plots with a higher level of infestation
In the case of Lanzarote, the Plant Health Service affirms that it detected the plague "at the end of 2020", after carrying out "prospections" on several islands of the archipelago and verifying its presence "in the Guatiza and Mala area. "At the beginning of 2021, the prospections continued to verify if the presence of the plague was focused or very dispersed" and "it was verified that to date it is focused in the aforementioned area," they detailed.
After that, the Plant Health Service affirms that it held a meeting with representatives of the Guatiza and Mala Agricultural Cooperative Society to assess the situation of the prickly pear cultivation in the area. And, "it was interesting to exchange information to develop a control and eradication strategy." At the same time, they point out that representatives of the Cactus Garden and the Agricultural Experimental Farm of the Island Council also attended.
Likewise, an informative talk was held, to which "the general public and the farmers linked to the cultivation of prickly pear in particular were summoned, to inform them of the existence of this plague on the island and the risks involved for their prickly pear crops." Along with this informative work, it is indicated that the General Directorate of Agriculture of the Government of the Canary Islands also published an informative brochure explaining, among other details, the main characteristics of this plague, how to identify it and the control methods.
On the other hand, the Plant Health Service of the Government of the Canary Islands states that through the public company GMR Canarias, it has carried out "several treatments in those plots that have a higher level of infestation." Work in which the Teguise City Council has collaborated, "which has provided water tanks."
In addition, the Government of the Canary Islands points out that it has made available to the Guatiza and Mala Agricultural Cooperative Society "an amount of product (potassium soap), so that it can distribute it among the farmers who want to apply it to their prickly pears." And, according to what they explain, it is with this phytosanitary product that the plague is being treated, diluting it in water and "applying it under pressure" to eliminate the cochineal from the affected shovels.
The situation in the Cactus Garden
Regarding the Cactus Garden, the Plant Health Service has pointed out that "some affected specimens have been found" although with a "minimal" level of infestation." These facts have been confirmed by the CEO of the CACT. "For the moment it is not to be scared," said Benjamín Perdomo.
And, he has affirmed that, with respect to the Cactus Garden, the plague is "under control." "They have found something, but small," said Perdomo, who has also affirmed that the affected specimens "have been treated and are being treated with potassium soap and an oil."
In fact, the Government of the Canary Islands has highlighted that "the involvement so far of the representatives of the Cactus Garden has been absolute." "They have attended all those meetings or encounters that have been held and have facilitated at all times the work that the Plant Health Service has carried out within the garden, both the prospections and the treatments," they indicated. Likewise, they have specified that, in this case, the plague "exclusively affects species of the genus Opuntia sp., observing the damage mainly on Opuntia ficus indica (Opuntia maxima)".
"We have controlled it for now but because we are stuck all day," said the CEO of the Centers, who has not pointed out that they are still "worried" and "a lot" about the fear that this plague may end up affecting the Cactus Garden to a greater extent.
