Coffea arabica variety KP423 may be resistant to the cerambycid coffee stemborer monochamus leuconotus, but common stem treatments seem ineffective against the pest

Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

African Entomology

Publication Date

3-1-2015

Abstract

The white coffee stemborer, Monochamus leuconotus (Pascoe, 1869) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a key insect pest of Arabica coffee, Coffea arabica in Africa. We tested the effect of C. arabica varieties and stem treatment by wrapping, smoothening and insecticidebanding on the incidence of this pest and yield of the crop. The pest incidence was consistently lower on C. arabica variety KP423 than on two other varieties KP162 and SL28, suggesting that KP423 is less susceptible to M. leuconotus. Correspondingly, KP423 yielded almost five-fold more coffee cherries than the other two varieties. Stem-smoothening and insecticide-banding did not significantly influence the incidence of M. leuconotus, while stemwrapping occasionally increased the incidence of the pest. None of the stem treatments influenced the yield of coffee cherries. These results support cultivation of KP423 in areas prone to M. leuconotus, and offer prospects for identification of resistance genes against the pest. The results, however, contradict previous reports that stem-smoothening and stem-wrapping can suppress M. leuconotus.

Keywords

Cerambycidae, Coleoptera, host resistance, Lamiinae, management, stem-insecticide-banding, stem-smoothening, stem-wrapping

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