RELATION AMONG THE BLACK BOLL WEEVIL (Cosmopilites sordidus), PRECIPITATION AND UPTURNED PLANTAIN PLANTS AT FOUR LOCATIONS IN BARU, CHIRIQUI.

Abstract

In a study undertaken at Manaca, Los Olivos, Majagual and Corotu in the Distrit of Baru, Province of Chiriqui, the existing relation among the black boll weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus), precipitation, and the number of upturned plants in the plantain groves was studied. At each location, three 400 m parcels were installed, at which the number of upturned plants, the precipitation, and the population of C. sordidus was registered monthly. A sandwich type trap was used. The influence of the C. sordidus population on the upturning of plants was significant (P<0.05) at all locations, as well as that of the C. sordidus population and precipitation. At two locations (Majagual and Manaca), only the correlation between precipitation and plants upturned was found to be positive at 0.01 and 0.001, respectively. This similarity is intimately related to the conditions of the soil, high in sand content, and the loosening of the soil due to the rains (Majagual) and layer of impermeable “hard pan” (Manaca).