Impacto de plagas y enfermedades de relevancia económica en el cultivo de café (Coffea arabiga) y estrategias de prevención en el cantón Zaruma, provincia de El Oro

Abstract

Abstract: This research focused on evaluating the impact of pests and diseases of economic relevance on coffee production in the Zaruma canton, using a combined method that merged quantitative and qualitative techniques. Data collection was carried out through structured surveys of 42 coffee growers, addressing four thematic blocks, which indicated that 50% of producers are of mature age and have primary school education. With 61.90% and 71.40% of affectations respectively, CBB and rust were the most important pests and diseases. Forty-seven.6% of growers spent between $500 and $1000 per year on managing phytosanitary difficulties. The average annual production was 300 to 500kg /ha, indicating a moderate profitability of approximately $700 per hectare per year. In terms of control tactics, biological control (35.7%) and cultural control (33.3%) stood out, which were implemented on a monthly basis. With these results it was concluded that it is necessary to strengthen phytosanitary management and diversify crops to increase production and profitability of coffee in Zaruma.