Trends in coconut leaf beetle, Brontispa longgisima (Gestro), infestation and its casual environmental factors in the Philippines
2016
dela Torre, I.J. | Martinez, C.P.
The widespread infestation of coconut leaf beetle, Brontispa longissima (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Philippines was investigated. This invasive species is a serious threat to the coconut industry in infestation will not be contained. Hence, sustainable pest management program is necessary to prevent economic damage and to protect the welfare of coconut farmers. The regional trend of infestation, the influence of the environmental factors, and long-term prediction of incidence, were evaluated in the study. Results indicated that the trend in infestation across provinces in the Philippines influenced by rainfall and temperature. The causality of B. longissima infestations and climatic condition are positively associated with rainfall. Data revealed increase in the rate infestation when rainfall is high while increase in temperature decreases the infestation incidence. The 2007-2013 trends of infestation ranges from 0.01 to 12.45 percent relative to the total coconut trees planted. In Luzon, the areas with highest level of infestations were in Region 1-4B; in the Visayan islands, infestations were severe in Region 8, and in MIndanao, Region 9 was the most affected. As illustrated in the area-specific maps, the magnitude of infestation of the pest scaled up to a significant level in 2008-2011 that seriously affected coconut areas of various provinces in the Visayas. The forecasted incidence between 2014 and 2020 disclosed lower levels of infestation. Incidences of B. longisima in some areas in the Philippines are predicted in the coming years. Projection shows that most of the areas are predicted to less than 1.0% incidence. This would give an idea to farmers and local authorities that they should strengthen their efforts in controlling the said insect pest to avoid likelihood of significant damage in the future.
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