‘Dreaded’ coffee borer detected in Usino

A NEW detection of the dreaded coffee berry borer (CBB) pest has been confirmed in Bundi, Madang, just over a year since the first outbreak was reported in the country.
Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) chief executive Charles Dambui said that the area was geographically isolated and support from Usino-Bundi district administration was needed to conduct a full survey.
“Technical officers have been sent into the area and have returned with reports of coffee berry borer presence in the area” he said.
The CIC gave an update on the containment exercise that was currently being carried in a statement yesterday:

•  About 96,000 coffee trees have been pruned in infected gardens in Jiwaka from Jan to Feb this year;
•  since Feb 2018, about 4600ha of coffee gardens were reported to have been infected by CBB in Banz and Minj in Jiwaka; and,
•  More than 50,000 of infected coffee trees have been pruned in Eastern Highlands.
  A team of scientists have already isolated local strains of Beauveria bassiana, and have applied to infested coffee trees on experimental basis according to CIC.
  Dambui said the fungus beauvaria bassiana could be used as a biological control agent in integrated pest management (IPM) programmes.
  “Beauvaria is a fungus that attacks and kills both the adult and larvae (CBB) and can be easily isolated, cultured on a suitable culture media, and mass-produced using a suitable substrate such as rice,” he said
  Dambui the fungal mycelium and spores produced on rice substrate could be harvested and packaged for distribution to coffee growers to mix with water for spraying.
  Preliminary findings have shown that the fungus is successful in controlling coffee berry borer, and after further evaluation it will be mass-producedand applied in infested coffee gardens.
  While containment work is in progress, trucks with coffee that pass through roads blocks at Korofeigu in Eastern Highlands and Ganige in Chimbu are being monitored by CIC officers.