Resumen
Few results related to the control of plant viruses have been reported successfully, and less research has been carried out under field conditions for the pathogens. The Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) is a very challenging virus to combat and prevents achieving a high productive potential in Carica papaya due to the lack of resistant genes in commercial papaya cultivars such as red Maradol, which originated in Cuba and extends to all America and the Caribbean. In this study, the effectiveness of a new viral inhibitor (Inhibitovir), applied as a preventive and curative treatment to control PRSV was evaluated under field conditions. The results showed the possibility of using this viral inhibitor against PRSV because its effectiveness was comparable to that of the commercial antiviral (Q-2000VI). The use of Inhibitovir can prevent the damages caused by PRSV with satisfactory protection until harvest, allowing yield increases of 1.5 to 3 times. The preventive effect of Inhibitovir applications can attenuate and reduce disease symptoms, even in those plants that were infected prior to treatment. The field application of a new antiviral formulation offers a new alternative for efficient PRSV control, which can be included in integrated pest management.