Abstract
The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, is the most significant insect pest of coffee worldwide. Since CBB was detected in Puerto Rico in 2007 and Hawaii in 2010, coffee growers from these islands are facing increased costs, reduced coffee quality, and increased pest management challenges. Here, we outline the CBB situation, and summarize the findings of growers, researchers, and extension professionals working with CBB in Hawaii. Recommendations for the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for CBB in Hawaiian Islands and Puerto Rico include: (1) establish a CBB monitoring program, (2) synchronize applications of insecticides with peak flight activity of CBB especially during the early coffee season, (3) conduct efficient strip-picking as soon as possible after harvest and perform pre-harvest sanitation picks in CBB hotspots if needed, (4) establish protocols to prevent the escape of CBB from processing areas and when transporting berries during harvest, and (5) stump prune by blocks. Progress achieved includes the introduction of the mycoinsecticide Beauveria bassiana to coffee plantations, the coordination of area-wide CBB surveys, the establishment and augmentation of native beetle predators, and an observed reduction of CBB populations and increased coffee quality where IPM programs were established. However, CBB remains a challenge for coffee growers due to regional variability in CBB pressures, high costs, and labor issues, including a lack of training and awareness of CBB management practices among growers.
Highlights
Coffee, both Coffea arabica and C. robusta, is produced on 10 million ha in over 80 countries from tropical and subtropical regions, with over 100 million people employed in this industry [1,2]
In the United States (US), coffee is produced in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, with an estimated combined value of
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs focusing on pesticides, crop sanitation, and biological control have been developed in other regions for coffee berry borer (CBB) [2,12,13,14]
Summary
Both Coffea arabica and C. robusta, is produced on 10 million ha in over 80 countries from tropical and subtropical regions, with over 100 million people employed in this industry [1,2]. In the United States (US), coffee is produced in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, with an estimated combined value of. In Hawaii, coffee is produced in the Kona and Ka’u districts of Hawaii Island on ~2400 ha [4], as well as on ~1400 ha on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Molokai [5]. Much of the coffee industry in both countries is considered a high value specialty crop [5,7]. In Hawaii, CBB was first detected in the Kona District of Hawaii Island in 2010, and has since spread to most of the ~800 coffee farms on the island. CBB was detected earlier in Puerto Rico (2007), and is widespread across most coffee-growing regions [9]. Production costs have increased 10–15% during this period [10]
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