Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei) Emergence from Ground Fruits Across Varying Altitudes and Climate Cycles, and the Effect on Coffee Tree Infestation

Effect of Microclimate on the Mass Emergence of Hypothenemus hampei in Coffee Grown under Shade of Trees and in Full Sun Exposure

The rainfall regime has a significant impact on the microclimate and mass emergence of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) (CBB). Little is known, however, about the shade tree-microclimate-CBB mass emergence interaction. The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of microclimate on the mass emergence of CBB in a full sun-exposed plot with a plot shaded by trees. The experiment was conducted on a Robusta coffee farm in southern Chiapas, Mexico. In each plot, 18 traps baited with an alcohol mixture were installed to capture flying females, collecting caught individuals every hour from 8:00 to 18:00 h. A meteorological station recorded several microclimatic variables on 13 weekly sampling dates from February to May 2022. Significantly more CBB females were captured in the shaded plot. The largest number of CBB captures was recorded between 14:00 and 16:00 h for the shade plot and between 15:00 and 17:00 h for the sun-exposed plot. The mass emergence of CBB showed a positive association with precipitation, dew point, and wind speed samples and a negative association with maximum air temperature, average relative humidity, ultraviolet radiation, wind speed, and equilibrium moisture content. Our observations show that the relationship between shade trees, microclimate, and mass emergence of CBB is complex and that its study helps us to gain deeper insight into CBB bioecology and advance control techniques against this important pest.

Towards integrated pest and pollinator management in tropical crops

Biotic pollination and pest control are two critical insect-mediated ecosystem services that support crop production. Although management of both services is usually treated separately, the new paradigm of Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management (IPPM) suggests synergetic benefits by considering them together. We reviewed the management practices in two major tropical perennial crops: cocoa and coffee, to assess IPPM applications under the tropics. We found potential synergies and antagonisms among crop pest and pollination management, however, very few studies considered these interactions. Interestingly, we also found management practices focusing mainly on a single service mediated by insects although species can show multiple ecological functions as pests, natural enemies, or pollinators. The tropics represent a promising area for the implementation of IPPM and future research should address this concept to move towards a more sustainable agriculture.

Organic Farming Practices and Shade Trees Reduce Pest Infestations in Robusta Coffee Systems in Amazonia

Coffee agroforestry systems could reconcile agricultural and environmental objectives. While pests and diseases can reduce yield, their interactions with shade and nutrition have been rarely researched, and are particularly lacking in perennial systems. We hypothesized that intermediate shade levels could reduce coffee pests while excess shade could favor fungal diseases. We hypothesized that organic rather than mineral fertilization would better synchronize with nutrient uptake and higher nutrient inputs would be associated with reduced pest and disease damage due to higher plant vigor, yet effects would be less obvious in shaded plots as coffee growth would be light-limited. Using three-year-old trees of Coffea canephora var. Robusta (robusta coffee) in the Ecuadorian Amazon, we compared a full-sun system with four shading methods creating different shade levels: (1) Myroxylon balsamum; (2) Inga edulis; (3) Erythrina spp.; or, (4) Erythrina spp. plus Myroxylon balsamum. Conventional farming at either (1) moderate or (2) intensified input and organic farming at (3) low or (4) intensified input were compared in a split-plot design with shade as the main plot factor and farming practice as the sub-plot factor. The infestation of the following pests and disease incidences were evaluated monthly during the dry season: brown twig beetle (Xylosandrus morigerus), coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella), coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei), anthracnose disease (Colletotrichum spp.), thread blight (Pellicularia koleroga), and cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora coffeicola). Coffee berry borer and brown twig beetle infestation were both reduced by 7% in intensified organic treatments compared to intensified conventional treatments. Colonization of coffee berry borer holes in coffee berries by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana was also assessed. Brown twig beetle infestation was significantly higher under full sun than under Inga edulis, yet no other shade effects were detected. We demonstrate for the first time how intensified input use might promote pest populations and thus ultimately lead to robusta coffee yield losses.