Impact and control of the coconut hispine beetle, Brontispa longissima gestro (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) by Wilco Liebregts
Brontispa longissima is one of the most serious pests of coconut in Asia and the Pacific. Recent estimates from Viet Nam indicate that, if left untreated, damage to the coconut industry there would have been in excess of one billion US$ over a 30-year period. Brontispa can be successfully brought under sustainable, environment-friendly control by classical biological control, as shown in Samoa and other Pacific Island countries. FAO is supporting TCP projects in Viet Nam, Nauru and Maldives, which have seen the collection of the parasitoid Asecodes hispinarum from Samoa and its subsequent introduction in these countries. Initial surveys have confirmed the establishment of the parasitoid in Viet Nam and Maldives, where observations show that damage to young emerging leaves is reduced. The Viet Nam project has shown a return on investment of US$3 000 for every dollar invested by FAO in this project.
The pest has continued to spread in Southeast Asia, and is now found in different climate zones, where the effectiveness of A. hispinarum may be reduced. In this view, it is highly desirable to seek and identify additional species of natural enemies for study and selection to complement biocontrol efforts in the region. Such efforts should be accompanied by a revision of the genus Brontispa and of other relevant hispinae since confusion has arisen in the region on the presence of other coconut pests which show similarities in appearance and damage symptoms to coconut in the region.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of key coconut pests by Peter A.C. Ooi
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) concerns farmer education that empowers farmers to become more effective managers and decision-makers. The focus is about IPM by farmers and not IPM for farmers! In IPM, biological control and ecological principles are the founding principles. Through Farmer Field Schools (FFS), farmers develop skills in critical and informed decision-making. Experiences with IPM for the rhinoceros beetle and the coconut leaf moth demonstrated the need to educate farmers in IPM principles to sustain good coconut management practices. Farmers can learn to avoid disruption of biological control when they understand the ecological basis of pest outbreaks.
Besides Brontispa longissima, two other hispine beetles occur in the region and, indeed, Promecotheca cumingii may pose a serious threat to the coconut industry in areas where it does not yet occur. Artona catoxantha has the same ability to invade new areas and may cause outbreaks at the level currently caused by B. longissima and perhaps even worse. Lessons learned from the classical biological control of B. longissima point to the synergy of sharing information, experiences and beneficial agents between countries in the region. FAO can catalyze this through activities, such as this expert consultation. It is hoped that success in the biological control of B. longissima will encourage national programmes to enhance their capacity to face pest outbreaks and conduct classical biological control.
As invasive species transcend boundaries, it stands to reason that the sharing of information, especially through a regional entity such as FAO's Asia-Pacific Plant Protection Commission (APPPC) will greatly benefit the task of managing new pest situations. In this respect, a regional programme will allow countries in the region to enhance the readiness of national programmes to meet the challenges of invasive species and its control by introduced specific natural enemies. It is hoped that this expert consultation will discuss the possibility of setting up regional collaboration to address this important aspect of capacity enhancement. This is critical in the light of the outbreak of B. longissima and the possibility of new pests coming from within the region as well as from outside the region. For example, the coconut mite from Africa has already arrived in Sri Lanka and is spreading. The threat of the palm miner, Coelanomenodera sp. from Africa to the oil palm is of concern to the region in the light of expanded air travel between continents. This is also true of pests from the region moving around, for example Rhynchophorus sp. invading the Middle East.
