Woodwasp biological control project launched in 1980s eliminates use of pesticides

São Paulo, June 29, 2022 - Committed to the sustainable development of its forests, Klabin, Brazil’s largest producer and exporter of packaging paper and sustainable solutions in paper packaging, focuses on integrated pest management through the support and development of biological control techniques. Some 30 years ago, Klabin became one of the first companies to join the then National Woodwasp Control Fund (today the National Forest Pest Control Fund - Funcema), in which several forestry companies worked, jointly with Embrapa Florestas, to advance techniques for controlling woodwasps (Sirex noctilio), an exotic species that at the time had invaded pine tree forests in Brazil and faced no natural enemies. The partnership was responsible for introducing two key biological pest control systems: one using a nematode (Deladenus siricidicola) injected into the wood that comes into contact with the larvae and sterilizes them, effectively decreasing their dissemination; and another based on monitoring and releasing in field natural enemies, such as Ibalia leucospoides and Megarhyssa nortony, which were introduced in Brazil in the 1990’s.

                                                                          Woodwasp

 The results of these initiatives observed over the years have proven their success in effectively controlling the pest. In recognition of this successful synergy, Embrapa Florestas published a letter of acknowledgment regarding the more than three decades of the partnership that highlighted the contribution and technical development of various actions to control woodwasps, while maintaining the natural balance of the environment and ensuring sustainability in Klabin’s forest production. In the document, the institution mentions the importance of applying these techniques and noted that the company was the first to confirm, in 2015, the natural presence of Megarhyssa nortony in planted forests, at its Otacílio Costa Unit, whose presence has further expanded since then. In addition to Megarhyssa, over a decade ago, parasitism of the pest also was observed by the presence of Ibalia, an insect that, combined with the annual application of nematodes, achieved a control rate of the pest of over 90%.

The integrated management system, a concept that uses control techniques applied in cost/benefit analysis strategies, considers the impact on forest productivity, society and the environment. Klabin adopts the method to obtain more rational and efficient strategies for protecting plants against tree pests and diseases using genetics and biological controls and, as a last resort that is rarely used, chemical products. The project in partnership with Embrapa Florestas and Funcema adopts a biological model that uses pests’ natural enemies, which are created and multiplied in the laboratory, to manage control sustainably in the medium and long term. The results obtained demonstrate the initiative’s success, with a reduction in the average mortality rate of pine trees caused by the woodwasp on Brazilian pine plantations from 60% to less than 1%, helping to reduce losses caused by pests in Klabin’s forests.

According to Bruno Afonso Magro, Forest Research and Development Manager at Klabin, the document published by Embrapa Florestas reinforces the fact that introducing, encouraging and using biological control techniques, combined with the sustainable management adopted by the Company, have been supporting the natural development of this and other insects that benefit the regions where it operates and consequently ensures the productivity levels of planted forests. “Biological control becomes more feasible and efficient compared to other options over the medium and long term, helping to maintain yields sustainably with lower environmental impacts. Through our monitoring and control, we can confirm that this pest has been controlled at Klabin's forests for over two decades,” he said.


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