Coconut

Pest and Diseases in Coconut

The Philippines is still the world’s number one supplier of coconut products, according about 70% of the aggregate world export. The total area planted to coconut is about 3.1 million hectares. However, annual nut production has decreased. This decline in coconut production and productivity is attributed to several constraints, such as unfavourable environmental factors, improper cultural practices, inferior planting materials and unfavourable socioeconomic conditions.  

Here are some pests in coconut crop and their control.

·         Rhinoceros beetle

Cultural control:  Burn logs before they decay

Physical control:  Use traps to attract beetles, then collect and destroy them

Chemical control:  Spray breeding sites with chlordane

Biological control:  The Green Muscardine Fungus (GMF) infects the larva, pupa, and adult of the beetle.  As a preventive control of rhinoceros beetles.  Fifty grams of GMF is introduced into sawdust trap boxes. These boxes attract the wild population of beetles as egg laying sites.

·         Coconut spike moth

Cultural control: Burn infected buttons

Chemical control: Field release of  Apanteles tirathabae and Argyrophylax basifulva in heavily infested area.

·         Asiatic palm weevil

Cultural control: Cut and burn crownless palms

Chemical control: Treat injured portions with coal tar

                Pour 1% chlordane on newly-cut coconut stumps to discourage breeding of other pests like rhinoceros beetle.

·         Coconut scale

Biological control: Use natural enemies, such as coccinellid predators

Chemical control: Spray any of the following insecticides: pirimiphosmethyl (0.04%), methyl parathion (0.04%), dimethoate (0.04%), and methomyl (0.02%), with surfactants.

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