Coffee berry borer control, but not coffee yield, is mediated by non-additive interaction between birds and ants across different cultivation systems

Parasitoids native to tropical Africa have been released in the Americas for the biological control of the coffee berry borer (CBB), but their establishment has been checkered. A tritrophic distributed maturation time model for the coffee plant – CBB – three parasitoids (Phymastichus coffea, Cephalonomia stephanoderis, Prorops nasuta) system was proposed by Gutierrez et al. (1998). Based on this pioneering work, and improved models for coffee and CBB (Rodríguez et al., 2011, 2013), we present an updated version of the parasitoid models. The new elements in this analysis include:1.New data on the biology and behavior of the parasitoids are added.2.A fourth parasitoid (Cephalonomia hyalinipennis) is added to the system.3.Interspecific competitive interactions among parasitoids (e.g., dyadic contests, intra-guild predation and hyperparasitism) and their effects on the control of CBB are explored.Because field data on the effectiveness of the parasitoids on CBB control is sparse, we assessed the efficacy of the parasitoids for control of CBB heuristically. The results are compared to prior analyses, and are related to field observations. Specifically, we found:1.Control of CBB by betilid parasitoids (Cephalonomia stephanoderis, Cephalonomia hyalinipennis and Prorops nasuta) is ineffective because of their low reproductive capacity relative to CBB, their host-feeding behavior, and phenological mismatches with CBB life stages.2.Of the parasitoids, the eulophid P. coffea has the greatest potential to suppress CBB infestation levels, though the fungal pathogen B. bassiana and insecticides are reported to have detrimental effects on its establishment and dynamics.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficácia de armadilha de garrafa Pet vermelha contendo compostos voláteis alcoólicos atrativos, no controle massal da broca-do-café (Hypothenemus hampei). As avaliações foram realizadas em quatro lavouras de café, durante dois anos. Foram distribuídas 900 armadilhas de garrafa Pet, pintadas de vermelho, em três das quatro lavouras; uma lavoura sem armadilhas foi usada como controle. O broqueamento dos frutos (%) foi determinado nessas lavouras. Houve redução do broqueamento de frutos nas lavouras com armadilhas, da safra 2007/2008 para a safra 2008/2009. As maiores densidades da broca-do-café nas armadilhas foram observadas nos estádios de floração e de frutos chumbinho. A armadilha de garrafa Pet vermelha é eficaz no controle massal da população da broca-do-café, por reduzir a percentagem de frutos broqueados em 57%; entretanto, essa redução não é suficiente para manter as densidades da broca abaixo do nível de controle.

Monoculture farming of arabica coffee plantation does not support environmental sustainability. International market demands arabica coffee product in compliance with an environmentally friendly standard which promotes ecological-based management. This study aims to identify the ecological aspects of specialty arabica coffee cultivation, and to analyze the effect of shade tree population, the use of organic fertilizer, the pruning of coffee crop, land conservation, and the control of coffee berry borer on specialty arabica coffee production. The data of ecological aspect was collected from three regencies in North Sumatera Province, namely Simalungun, North Tapanuli, and Dairi. Production determinant was analyzed concerning farming cultivation in three districts of Simalungun Regency namely Sidamanik, Pamatang Sidamanik, and Dolok Pardamean. The location was determined with multi-stage cluster sampling and the farmer samples with simple random sampling. The ecological aspect was analyzed descriptively while the determinant of arabica coffee production was analyzed with multiple regression method. The result shows that the shaded arabica coffee farming covers only 32% of the total arabica coffee production in the study area with a population of 54 trees/ha. Land conservation conducted by the farmers utilizes coffee fruit mulch (92%), individual terrace (3%), rorak (4%), and bench terrace (1%). The arabica coffee farming system managed by the farmers consists of monoculture (30%), mix farming (24%), shade coffee (32%), and multistrata coffee (14%). The pruning of coffee plants and integrated control of coffee berry borer has a significant effect on specialty arabica coffee production. Land conservation, population of shade tree, and organic fertilizer are an important production determinant on arabica coffee production in the short-term. These three ecological variables play a role to maintain land preservation and support sustainable arabica coffee production in the long-term.

The potential of the eulophid parasitoid Phymastichus coffea LaSalle to control coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) populations under field conditions in Colombia was evaluated. Parasitoid adults were released one, five and nine days after artificial infestations of 90-, 150- and 210-day-old coffee berries with H. hampei females. The position of the beetle inside the berry and the parasitism levels were assessed ten days after each P. coffea release. Parasitism of H. hampei by P. coffea was significantly affected by the age of the berries at the time of infestation, and by the position of the beetle inside the berries. Highest levels of parasitism were recorded in 150-day-old berries (75-85%) and in 90-day-old berries (75%) when P. coffea were released one day after the artificial infestation with H. hampei. In 150-day-old berries, highest levels of parasitism were recorded for H. hampei found in the outer layer of the endosperm followed by beetles penetrating the exocarp. Increasing the time of P. coffea releases after the artificial infestations with H. hampei led to decreased levels of parasitism in beetles attacking 90- and 150-day-old coffee berries. Low levels of parasitism were recorded in H. hampei females infesting older coffee berries because most of the beetles had already constructed galleries deep in the endosperm of the berries, i.e. out of reach of the parasitoid. The potential of P. coffea for biological control of coffee berry borer in Colombia is discussed.

The use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), such as Cordyceps javanica, to reduce insect pest populations is gaining traction since it is an environmentally safe approach that can control many pests at different life stages. Here, we focus on the histopathology of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, infected by C. javanica. Morphological observation revealed that C. javanica conidia germinated within 12 h following inoculation according to light microscopic and ultrastructural levels. The fungus thoroughly penetrated the fat body and muscular tissue between 84 and 120 h post-inoculation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the hyphal invasion of the cuticle at 12 h post-inoculation, with progressive tissue disruption and organelle degeneration, especially mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum in adipocytes. All organelles were completely degenerated at 96 h post-inoculation. There was evidence of a connection between C. javanica activity and the coffee berry borer that might cause histopathological changes in the host defense against the pathogen, pointing to increased mortality and potential control of coffee berry borer in natural populations. Additionally, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) confirmed that apoptotic cells were slightly increased in the adipose tissue and integument of the coffee berry borer. The ability of C. javanica to fatally infect the coffee berry borer suggests that it could be deployed as a biological control agent in the field.

The overlap of generations of coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) under field conditions in countries like Colombia hinders the construction of life tables by the sampling of natural populations. In this paper, a field methodology to carry out regular measurements of CBB cohorts inside coffee berries of different ages until harvest, both in coffee trees and in infested berries placed on the ground, is developed and used to compare the life history parameters of CBB. Populations with berries at six ages in three experimental stations (without CBB control) and in a commercial farm in Colombia (with chemical CBB control regularly carried out) were used. The duration of the pre-oviposition period as well as the mortality and survival rates of founder females and the proportion of founders leaving infested berries were strongly influenced by the consistency of berries, with optimum conditions for CBB reproduction as from 120-150 days after flowering. No differences were found between stations for the number of CBB developmental stages; but they had larger values than the commercial farm. The latter also had more than twice the average rate of founders leaving infested berries recorded in the stations. Survival functions (cumulative probabilities of survival) for the pest differed among treatments and between the plant and ground micro-environments. Age of berries at infestation was positively related to the intrinsic rate of increase of borer population; whilst generation time and doubling time were inversely related. No differences were found between sites for the main demographic parameters of the pest.

Coffee ( Coffea arabica and C. canephora) is one of the most widely traded agricultural commodities and the main cash crop in ∼80 tropical countries. Among the factors that limit coffee production, the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) has been considered the main insect pest, causing losses of over U.S. $500 million dollars annually. Control of this pest has been hindered by two main factors: the cryptic nature of the insect (i.e., protected inside the coffee berry) and the availability of coffee berries in the field allowing the survival of the pest from one generation to the next. Coffee berry borer control has primarily been based on the use of synthetic insecticides. Management strategies have focused on the use of African parasitoids ( Cephalonomia stephanoderis, Prorops nasuta, and Phymastichus coffea), fungal entomopathogens ( Beauveria bassiana), and insect traps. These approaches have had mixed results. Recent work on the basic biology of the insect has provided novel insights that might be useful in developing novel pest management strategies. For example, the discovery of symbiotic bacteria responsible for caffeine breakdown as part of the coffee berry borer microbiome opens new possibilities for pest management via the disruption of these bacteria. Some chemicals with repellent propieties have been identified, and these have a high potential for field implementation. Finally, the publication of the CBB genome has provided insights on the biology of the insect that will help us to understand why it has been so successful at exploiting the coffee plant. Here I discuss the tools we now have against the CBB and likely control strategies that may be useful in the near future.

Determination of factors influencing integrated pest management adoption in coffee berry borer in Colombian farms

An α-amylase inhibitor gene from Phaseolus coccineus encodes a protein with potential for control of coffee berry borer ( Hypothenemus hampei)

Cephalonomia stephanoderis and Prorops nasuta are two bethylid wasps released into several Latin American countries for classical biological control of coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, the most serious insect pest of coffee worldwide. Recent studies on the host location behaviour of these parasitoids have shown that females of both species are attracted to volatile compounds released by immature stages and dust and frass of H. hampei. In this study, we investigated the role of the contact chemicals present in dust and frass of H. hampei on the behaviour of P. nasuta and C. stephanoderis females. Parasitoids remained longer on patches treated with methanol extracts than on acetone and hexane extracts. Females spent more time on the patch treated with the methanol extract of dust and frass than on the patches treated with the methanol extract of dry coffee and methanol control. The concentration of the methanol extracts from dust and frass influenced the locomotory activity of parasitoids of both species. The time that females spent in the patch tended to increase as the concentration of the methanol extracts increased. A further experiment aimed to identify other behavioural descriptors and gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying the response of parasitoids to methanol extracts was performed. Females of both species spent more time, covered more distance, turned more (per unit time and per unit distance), and decreased their speed when they contacted patches treated with methanol extracts in comparison to patches treated with methanol control.

Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari)) is the most frequently occurring and destructive pest of coffee (Coffea spp.) in Sri Lanka. Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuellemin is an entomopathogenic fungus that has a great potential as a biological control agent for the control of coffee berry borer. An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different agricultural byproducts including five solid substrates i.e. coir dust, saw dust, refused tea, disposable parts of maize cob (pith + chaff + woody ring) and oil cake, and two liquid substrates i.e. coconut water and molasses. Mass production was done under two temperature levels, at room temperature (30 ± 20C) under incubator temperature (25 ± 20C). Fungus was inoculated into sterilized solid and liquid substrates in equal concentrations. Inoculated substrates were placed in the incubator and under room temperature and experiment continued for 8 weeks. The highest number of spores were observed in molasses (6.9475x1013 spores/ml) among all the tested substrates. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) with respect to the spore production in all substrates at room and incubator temperatures. Optimum spore production was achieved 42 days after inoculation of the fungus in all substrates irrespective of the temperature.

Coffee is a crop of global importance, and it is especially important in countries such as Peru. However, the presence of the pest Hypothenemus hampei represents a significant challenge with a notable economic impact. This study addresses this challenge using entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria peruviensis and Metarhizium sp. The compatibility of three strains of Beauveria peruviensis (F5, P19, and P4) and seven strains of Metarhizium sp. (MMR-M1, LLM-M2, MHR-M4, PMR-M12, MMR-M15, TOR-M16, and GOR-M18) was evaluated for approximately 2 months. A total of 14 treatments were designed, each consisting of one strain of B. peruviensis and one strain of Metarhizium sp. The Skott–Knott test (p ≤ 0.05) revealed that strain LLM-M2 (Metarhizium sp. strain) had the highest conidial production (3.75 × 107 conidia/mL). Except for T6 (MMR-M1/F5), which showed a mutual growth type interaction (type A), all other strain combinations showed a type B interaction (mutual inhibition by contact or separation between colony margins (<2 mm)). The combination with the highest germination rate was T10 (MHR-M4/F5) at 89%. In addition, the pathogenicity of the combined strains was evaluated, showing a direct correlation with mortality and mycosis development in the coffee berry borer in treatments T1 (PMR-M12/P19), T10 (MHR-M4/F5), and T11 (MMR-M15/P19), reaching 100% mortality at 72 h with grade 4 mycosis. Regarding mycelial growth, treatments T1 (PMR-M12/P19), T4 (MMR-M1/P19), and T12 (GOR-M18/P19) reached the highest percentages, between 85.8% and 83.10% at 240 h. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using native strains of B. peruviensis and Metarhizium sp. as a biocontrol strategy against the coffee berry borer in the Amazon department, presenting them as an alternative to traditional chemical methods.

Since its recent establishment in Hawaii, the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), threatens yields, quality and price of coffee production. A limited number of insecticides (primarily Beauveria bassiana) is used to control CBB with minimal disruption in this agroecosystem. We evaluated two insecticide spray strategies across eight coffee farms in the Kona and Ka‘u Districts of Hawaii Island. Coffee growers sprayed insecticides approximately monthly (calendar basis) or in response to CBB field-monitoring data (threshold-based). Overall, farms adopting thresholds performed more insecticide applications early in the season (May to July), but significantly fewer overall, when compared with calendar-based strategies (i.e., 4–5 versus 7–11 seasonal sprays, respectively). Generalized linear models assessing the variability in CBB infestation rates, berry penetration, and infection by B. bassiana indicated that threshold-based sprays provided equivalent CBB-control compared with calendar ones. When corrected for yield, there was a cost saving for threshold versus calendar-based spray programs (i.e., cost 5.4% versus 11.8% of gross yield). Total defects in processed coffee after harvest were statistically similar between the two spray regimes; i.e., 8.5% ± 1.0% and 10.4% ± 1.7%, respectively. We hypothesize that B. bassiana applied early in the season is more effective, since the fungus targets initial CBB infestations when the prolonged location of founder females in the outer berry endosperm favors its infection. Our study suggests that spray timing for CBB based on field monitoring data can reduce costs, however additional measures, such as field and post-harvest sanitation, are necessary to achieve sustainable CBB control in the Islands.

Background: Coffee farmers in Central Aceh face challenges with coffee berry borer pests, reducing yields and market value. Empowering the Musara Miko farmer group aims to address these issues through education and training in risk management and environmentally friendly pest control. Contribution: The purpose of this community service project is to raise awareness about coffee berry borer pest risk management and control. It is intended that by engaging in this activity, the community will be able to reduce the risk associated with producing coffee while simultaneously increasing output and improving quality. Method: This activity includes socialization, training, and practice. Risk management socialization activities are carried out to provide an understanding of risk management, training activities to make pest control tools using simple materials, then practice controlling coffee berry borer pests in the field. This activity involved 21 farmers as training participants. Results: This empowerment program showed an increase in knowledge about risk management and control of coffee berry borer pests by 71%. Conclusion: The program significantly improved farmers' ability to manage pests, enhancing productivity, quality, and market value, fostering sustainable coffee farming and economic welfare.

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most important coffee pest worldwide. Beauveria bassiana is a generalist entomopathogenic fungus widely used by coffee farmers to control this pest and Phymastichus coffea LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is an African endoparasitoid of H. hampei adults, recently imported to several Latin American and Caribbean countries to aid in the coffee berry borer control. The objective of this study was to determine if B. bassiana is detrimental to P. coffea. The susceptibility of the parasitoid was evaluated in terms of adult survivorship, mean lethal concentration (LC50), mean lethal time (LT50), reproduction and immature mortality. The main effect of the fungus resulted in reduction of adult longevity and mortality of 100% for immature stages of this parasitoid. The LC50 for adults was 0.11% equivalent to 9.53 x 10(7) conidia/ml of B. bassiana and a LT50 of 29.4h, equivalent to reduction of 22% of its normal longevity as an adult. P. coffea was capable of disseminating spores of B. bassiana to non-infected H. hampei adults, which could indirectly cause the death of its own progeny. These results could be valuable when considering the use of both organisms in the field, especially in an integrated pest management program.