Plant Protection Experience
Project "Banco de dados sobre pragas quarentenárias associadas às culturas relevantes para o agronegócio brasileiro e a defesa fitossanitária no país" (Database on quarantine pests associated to crops of importance to Brazilian agribusiness and plant protection in country)
This project is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology and is coordinated by Dr. Carlos Meira, from Embrapa Informática Agropecuária. It aims to develop an online database on regulated plant pests of relevance to Brazilian agribusiness.
Pest Risk Analysis
Pest Risk Analysis for importation of plant materials (2004-present). Performed pest risk analysis for the importation of plants and plant parts. Major projects include the importation of materials from Ecuador, China, Uruguay, Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, the Netherlands and Peru.
Project “Inovação Tecnológica para Defesa Agropecuária”
Project “Inovação Tecnológica para Defesa Agropecuária” (Technological Innovation to Plant and Animal Health and Inspection) (2008-present). This project is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology on behalf of Prof. Dr. Evaldo F. Vilela, from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa. Three major products of this project are RIT DA – Rede de Inovação Tecnológica para Defesa Agropecuária (www.inovadefesa.ning.com), the Directory of Expertise on Plant and Animal Health and Inspection (https://defesaagropecuaria.webnode.com) and the II Conferência Nacional sobre Defesa Agropecuária (https://2conferenciadefesaagropecuaria.webnode.com)
International Society for Pest Information
Vice President of the International Society for Pest Information (ISPI) since 2006, that publishes a yearly database with the international literature on pests of agricultural, medical and veterinary concern.
Mercosul - European Union SPS
Consultant of Ingal Ingeniería y Consulting S.L., a Spanish company in charge of conducting a study on Mercosul procedures on risk analysis for plant and animal parts and products. The project entitled “Proyecto de Cooperación para la Armonización de Normas y Procedimientos Veterinarios y Fitosanitarios, Inocuidad de Alimentos y Producción Agropecuaria Diferenciada” aims to harmonize Mercosul procedures and to align them to requirements of commercial partners in the European Union.
See also: https://inovadefesa.ning.com/profiles/blogs/projeto-para-a-harmonizacao-de
Students
From 2002 on, advised several graduated and undergraduated students on themes related to Plant Protection. Currently advising Ing. Andreza Kerr Fantine (Universidade Federal de Viçosa), that is developing research on routes of entry of quarantine pests and Ing. Uilian Costa de Almeida (ADAB), who is reviewing the list of regulated pests and evaluating risks of introduction of banana pests into Brazil.
Carambola Fruit Fly Eradication Program
During 1998 and 1999, enrolled Dr. Aldo Malavasi's team in Suriname developing research on Bactrocera carambolae eradication techniques. During that period, I had to oportunity to work with Dr. Don McInnis, Dr. Pedro Rendón and Dr. Eric Jang on behavioral tests to evaluate feasibility of cross species SIT using mass reared sterile Bactrocera dosalis males from Hawaii. Also, ministered training courses to representatives of Guyana, French Guyana and Suriname on the identification and biology of economically important species of Tephritidae.
Cydia pomonella Eradication Program
As a graduate student in Dr. Adalecio Kovaleski's laboratory, I had the oportunity to assist him in the development of suppression actions against the codling moth, a recently introduced apple pest. A cost-benefit analysis was performed to demonstrate that it would be cost effective to eradicate the codling moth from Brazil. Early detection trappings demonstrated that the pest restricted to urban areas of four municipalities and pheromone-based techniques (lure and kill) were chosen at early stages of the project. Further on, it was hypothesized that removal of all host plants from the afected municipalities would lead to population knock down. Together with transit control of materials and phytosanitary certification, this alternative led to significant population suppression.