INDIA
Photo: L. Shyamal
Coffee Report June 2015
Mounted specimen of Coffee white stem-borer, Xylotrechus quadripes, from Mudigere, India.
The coffee white stem borer (WSB) has proven a difficult pest to prevent. It was first discovered in 1838 and has been studied since by many in Mysore and most recently by the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), which functions under the Coffee Board of India.
The larvae of the WSB does damage while hidden from view as they live in the stems of coffee plants. The most successful control techniques involve ongoing farm renovation and pesticide use.
CCRI just announced the discovery of a new technique combining physical control (wrapping the stem with strips of cloth made from natural fibers) and chemical control (spraying the "gunny bag" strips with an insecticide).
According to a report in The Hindu, adult beetles died before emerging from the coffee plant stems. This field trial result is promising enough that additional experiments to test the new tactic in multiple locations.
Learn more: www.indiacoffee.org