Determinants for Disease Management in Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) in Southern Córdoba, Colombia ; Determinantes para el manejo de enfermedades en cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) en el sur de Córdoba, Colombia

The southern region of Córdoba has included the cultivation of cocoa within the offer of agricultural products for about two decades, motivated by the action of public and private entities in the agricultural sector. Although their yields are very close to the national average, they have decreased in the last two years due to diseases. This work aims to identify the factors that influence the decision to use disease management technologies. A survey was applied to 158 producers selected by the simple random sampling method. For the analysis, descriptive statistics and the formulation of a McFadden-type logit econometric model of discrete choice were used. The results show that the producer identifies to monilia (Moniliophthora roreri), witch's broom (Moniliophthora perniciosa) and Phytophthora (Phytophthora sp.) as the main diseases. The most used techniques are cultural management practices such as the manual harvesting of affected fruits and, in some cases, the use of chemically synthesized fungicides. It is concluded that the technological level and the participation in projects are the factors that have positively influenced the decision to use disease management techniques; schooling and years as a farmer slow down the willingness to apply disease management techniques. ; La región sur de Córdoba desde hace cerca de dos décadas ha incluido el cultivo del cacao dentro de la oferta de productos agrícolas, motivada por la acción de entidades públicas y privadas del sector agropecuario. A pesar de que sus rendimientos están muy cerca del promedio nacional, en los últimos dos años han disminuido a causa de las enfermedades. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo identificar los factores que influyen en la decisión de utilizar tecnologías de manejo de enfermedades. Se aplicó una encuesta a 158 productores seleccionados por el método de muestreo aleatorio simple. Para el análisis se utilizó estadística descriptiva y la formulación de un modelo econométrico logit tipo McFadden de elección discreta. Los resultados ...