PCA Finds New Parasites Versus Coco Pest
The Philippine Coconut Authority(PCA) has discovered new parasitoid insects which could help control the dreaded Brontispa longissima which has previously attacked more than 1.6 million coconut trees nationwide. This was announced by PCA administrator Oscar G. Garin.
Brontispa is a beetle that feeds on the emerging leaves of coconut trees, seriously damaging them and making them unproductive. In severe situations, the trees could be killed.
“Our research center in Davao City has identified two indigenous small insects that parasitize Brontispa by laying their eggs in the larva or pupa of the pest,” Garin said during the recent Brontispa in-house evaluation and action planning session held at the PCA in Quezon City.
Garin revealed that the PCA-Davar Research Center conducted a field release evaluation where a total of 1,948 parasitoid adults were released in infested barangays in Region 11 and parallel laboratory tests.
The parasitoids collected in the field inflicted about 30 to 50 percent parasitism on the pest’s larva,” he said adding that laboratory results showed around 7 to 47 adult parasitoids emerged from one larva 18 to 26 days from injection for parasitization.
“With earwigs, we now have three indigenous species for biological control of this foreign pest,” Garin enthused as he underscored the need to adopt a long-term integrated pest management system.
The administrator further stressed that use of chemical insecticides through trunk injection or spraying should only be done in severe cases and at first treatment. The long term and sustainable approach should comprise of biological control, use of entomophatogen fungi, good farming practices and strict quarantine controls.
He added that PCA’s research centers are now mass rearing the parasitoids for immediate use in areas that may suffer recurrence of Brontispa infestation.
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