Resumen
- Leaf spot, or black spot (BS), caused by the fungus Pseudocercospora purpurea (Cooke) Deighton, is one of the principal sanitary limitations in avocado production, particularly in the Antillean cultivars (Lorena, Choquette, Santana, and Semil 44) in the northern region of the Department of Tolima, Colombia. From 2014 to 2017, different experiments were carried out in the field to determine when higher fruit susceptibility occurs, the effect of pruning on inoculum reduction, and the chemical molecules with a high degree of control, adjusting their chronology and frequency of application. The results will facilitate the technical, economic, and environmental implementation and validation of a chemical strategy for management of this disease. The management strategy carried out with Agrosavia reported a 10% lower BS incidence in the fruits, as compared to the one carried out by producers, and a 23.75% return as a result of the increased fruit quality. This strategy used DMI fungicides (demethylation inhibitors), without resistance reports, and fungicides with a mixture of two active ingredients (DMI and QoI) and interspersed applications, sometimes in conjunction with CuOCl during periods of higher BS susceptibility in order to reduce the resistance induction risk in P. purpurea