Occurrence and abundance of cacao pod borer (Conomorpha cramerella Snellen) in smalholder

At present, over 100,000 ha or 20% of the cacao farms of Indonesia are infested with the cacao pod borer, Conopomorpha cramerella Snellen, and the spread of infestation varies from province to province. However, information on the occurrence and abundance of the cacao pod borer (CPB) and its parasitoids in Indonesia, especially in Southeast Sulawesi, is very limited. This study was conducted in two cacao-growing districts, Kendari and kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi, where smallholder farms are concentrated. results showed that the CPB infestation is higher in Kendari than in Kolaka district. The infestation varied significantly with the farm size. Large farms (72 ha) had lower infestation than the medium (1-2 ha) and small (1 ha) farms. Infestation at the start of the harvest season was low but gradually increased with time. The larval population in Kendari was higher than in Kalaka district are varied significantly with farm size. The mean larval population per plant in small farms (1 ha) in Kendari and Kalaka districts were 1.43 plus or minus 0.0 and 1.4 plus or minus 0.2, respectively. Data obtained on may 1st-10th revealed that the borer population was low, doubled in June 11th-20th, and finally increased four times at the end of the harvest season. The meduium and large scale farms had comparable CPB larval populations during the entire harvest season. The mean numbers of CPB pupae per plant sample in Kendari and in Kolaka differed significantly. Pupal population trend was similar to that of the larvae, lowest at the start of harvest and three times as much at the end of the season regardless of farm size. No parasitoid was collected in this study, probably due to the short sampling period. Moreover, Sampling was done done during the rainy season and generally parasitoid populations are low at this time. There is a need to collect CPb population all year round to ascertain the presence of parasitoids.