Abstract
AbstractCoffee pests have been estimated to cause losses of about 13% of the world yield but are most serious in Africa, particularly where Arabica coffee is grown. Coffee pests are normally indigenous and except for the berry borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari) there has been little movement between the main production areas. There is a great variety of pests but because the crop is perennial, evergreen and only grown in areas without climatic extremes, pest populations only rarely become intolerable, being held in check for most of the time by parasites, predators and diseases. Routine spraying of insecticides in coffee plantations is undesirable for these kill parasites and predators and often result in pest outbreaks. An effective but simple integrated control system has been evolved over many decades in East Africa, using a combination of cultural, biological and chemical control. Pest numbers are monitored continuously by growers and insecticides are used as selectively as possible. The system is ideally suited to areas where labour is cheap but technology is expensive.
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