Abstract

The coffee berry borer (CBB) is one of the main coffee pests in the world including Colombia. This pest is difficult to manage because of its cryptic habits and the continuous availability of coffee fruits. Among the new management strategies being tested is the use of volatile compounds as insect repellents. In this work, the behavioral response of female adult CBBs to terpenes previously identified in the CBB-repellent plant species Lantana camara was evaluated. α-Terpinene, (R)-limonene, farnesene and β-caryophyllene terpenes were tested via a Y-tube olfactometer in which ripe coffee fruits were accompanied by terpenes at concentrations between 25 and 200ppm. Only β-caryophyllene induced a significant and consistent CBB repellent effect at all tested doses. The protective effect of microencapsulated β-caryophyllene was then determined under laboratory conditions by incorporating the terpene in a colloidosome-gel system at 2.8 × 105 ng/h in the middle of coffee fruits with adult CBBs. The coffee fruits in turn presented a decrease in fruit infestation. Furthermore, the protection of coffee fruits when β-caryophyllene gels were hung in coffee trees was evaluated in the field; infestations were artificially induced by the use of raisins (CBB-infested old coffee fruits) placed on the ground. Compared with unprotected trees, the trees treated with caryophyllene gels exhibited a 33 to 45% lower degree of infestation. Taken together, the results show that β-caryophyllene is a promising compound for an integrated pest management (IPM) program in commercial coffee plantations.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.