Stem wrapping with non-woven fabric: A new approach in the management of coffee white stem borer, Xylotrechus quadripes Chevrolat

Abstract

The Coffee White Stem Borer (CWSB), Xylotrechus quadripes Chevrolat is a major and most devastating pest of arabica coffee in India. Because of the concealed nature of this pest, the management of this pest is challenging. Timing of management measures plays a critical role in managing this pest under the economic threshold level. One of the important management interventions for this pest is tracing and uprooting the CWSB infested plants before the flight period (April to May & October to December). Due to lack of skilled workers to identify the infested plants, presence of crop load or low price for coffee and lack of moisture to uproot the infested plants makes the planters to skip the tracing before flight period. This allows WSB adults to emerge from the infested plants and spread the infestation to healthy plants. In view of this, the present study was targeted on the CWSB infested plants with an objective to kill the emerging adults using Non- woven fabric material. Main stem and thick primaries of CWSB infested plants were wrapped with non-woven fabric material and sprayed with insecticide. Hundred percent mortality of emerging adults from the infested plants wrapped with 1.3 mm thickness Non-woven fabric material and sprayed with Chlorpyrifos 50EC + Cypermethrin 5EC @ 1.2ml per litre along with 1 ml of wetting agent was observed.