A potential repellent against the coffee berry borer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)
The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), continues to pose a formidable challenge to coffee growers worldwide. Because of the cryptic life habit of the insect inside coffee berries, effective pest management strategies have been difficult to develop. A sesquiterpene, (E,E)-α-farnesene, produced by infested coffee berries has been identified as a potential repellent against the coffee berry borer both in laboratory bioassays and a field experiment in Hawaii. Various laboratory bioassays revealed significantly lower levels of infestation in berries treated with different concentrations of the (E,E)-α-farnesene. A field experiment in Hawaii resulted in up to 80% decreased coffee berry borer captures in traps containing a standard 3:1 methanol:ethanol attractant and a bubble cap formulation of (E,E)-α-farnesene compared to traps with just the attractant. (E,E)-α-farnesene was still active 19 wk after installation in the coffee plantation, based on 59% lower insect captures in traps containing the attractant + (E,E)-α-farnesene (1,737 insects) compared to traps containing the attractant (4,253 insects). The easy to install bubble caps are a welcome contrast with other pest management strategies that require spraying. The placement of (E,E)-α-farnesene in bubble caps in coffee plantations when coffee berries first become susceptible to infestations (ca. 90 d post-flowering) might result in lower infestation levels throughout the season, and consequently, increased yields and profits.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | Broca del cafeto, Repelentes contra insectos, Café, Control de plagas, |
| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5751034/ |
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