Education

Solid scientific background provided by USP – Universidade de São Paulo, the most renowned university in Brazil and advised by a major researcher – Dr. Aldo Malavasi. Initiated on Plant Protection on the early 1990’s when conducted a research project on medfly (Ceratitis capitata) biology in different host plants. Once graduated enrolled a group of applied researchers concerned with fruit fly control in apple in Southern Brazil. My MSc dissertation was on the behavior and demography of the South American Fruit Fly (Anastrepha fraterculus) on apples, with focus on the colonization process. At this time, orientation provided by Dr. Pablo Liedo (Ecosur, Tapachula, Mexico) was crucial. Results allowed to propose management strategies against fruit flies in apple groves. PhD followed the same line initiated in 1992 and now the challenge was to evaluate the feasibility of adopting biological control against A. fraterculus in its native habitats as research conducted by Dr. Adalecio Kovaleski (Embrapa researcher on Pest Management) together with results of my MSc dissertation had demonstrated that fruit fly was very unlikely to have become established in commercial orchards. At that time, Dr. Aldo Malavasi moved to Suriname to run the eradication program of carambola fruit fly and designated Dr. Adalecio Kovaleski as my adviser. That was extremely productive as it allowed a shift from the basic and academic point of view to the applied and economic one. During my 4-years stay in Dr. Kovaleski’s laboratory, I had the opportunity to interact with fruit growers and pesticide industry which provided me a wider and more committed view of the productive system.