Browsing by Author "Chalco Siguachi, Karen Nathalia"

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    Evaluación de la eficiencia del tamaño de gota en aplicación aérea de fungicidas para controlar Sigatoka Negra (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) con dron en plantaciones de banano
    (Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, 2026-02-18) Cañetaco Barriga, Raúl Eduardo; Chalco Siguachi, Karen Nathalia; Larriva Coronel, Walter Iván
    Black Sigatoka (MycosRaerela tiensis) is one of the most destructive diseases affecting banana production in Ecuador, causing significant economic losses and reducing crop productivity. Traditionally, this disease has been controlled by aerial spraying with light aircraft, a method that covers large areas but has limitations due to its high consumption of inputs and high risk of drift. In view of this, the present research evaluated the efficiency of droplet size in the aerial application of fungicides with drones, comparing their performance with the conventional method using light aircraft. The study was conducted under a completely randomized design (CRD) with four treatments: three drone applications with different droplet sizes (200 µm, 250 µm, and 300 µm) and a control with a light aircraft (235 µm). Leaf coverage variables were evaluated using water-sensitive paper, disease incidence and severity (using the Stover scale modified by Gauhl), and operational costs of spraying per hectare. The results showed that the droplet sizes (200-235 µm) corresponding to treatment 1 and the control were the most effective in controlling the disease, reducing severity by up to 2.6% and 1.4%, respectively. The drone application demonstrated very significant advantages in terms of precision and drift reduction. The cost analysis revealed that drone applications were economically favorable, with the lowest cost per hectare at $138.76, compared to $150.67 for application by light aircraft. It is concluded that the use of drones is both an economical and technical alternative for the control of Mycosphaerella filiensis (Black sigatoka).