Options in Controlling Coconut Scale Insect (CSI) Aspidiotus destructor Signoret (Hemiptera: Dispididae)

Transcription

1 Options in Controlling Coconut Scale Insect (CSI) Aspidiotus destructor Signoret (Hemiptera: Dispididae) Quezon ARCCESS Business Development Service Office Digitally signed by Norberto G Rillera, DVM, MABE DN: cn=norberto G Rillera, DVM, MABE, o=credo Quezon ARCCESS Business Devt Service Office, ou=project Director, =norberto.rillera@uap.asia, c=ph Reason: I am the author of this document Location: QABSO Lucena City, Quezon Date: :14:28 +08'00'

2 Quezon ARCCESS Business Development Service Office

3 INCREASE IN AGRIBUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY EXPANDED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION RISK MANAGEMENT SUPPORT BROAD ACCESS TO FORMAL CREDIT FACILITY MARKET LINKS TO AGRO- INDUSTRIAL PARKS MARKET INFO & LOGISTIC SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGIC ALL- WEATHER FMR RISK-MANAGED PRODUCTION & MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS QUEDAN POST- HARVEST FACILITIES Quezon ARCCESS Business Development Service Office

4 + + = LAND LABOR CAPITAL PRODUCTION Quezon ARCCESS Business Development Service Office

5 Coconut Scale Insect (CSI) Aspidiotus destructor Signoret (Hemiptera: Dispididae)

6 Coconut is not alone CSI can be easily be re-introduced by people moving infested plants or plant parts, even if it is successfully controlled on the primary host crop, because of its wide host range. CSI is known to attack the following, plant species aside from Cocos nucifera (coconut) Annona muricata guyabano Carica papaya papaya Artocarpus altilis kamansi Cucumissativus spp. cucumber Citrus spp. calamansi, sintones Dioscorea spp. ubi Elaeis guineensis oil palm Lycopersicon spp. tomato Hevea brasiliensis rubber Passiflora edulis passion fruit Mangifera indica mango Piper nigrum black pepper Musa spp. banana Raphanus spp. radish Persea americana avocado Sacch. officinarum sugarcane Tamarindus indica tamarind Zingiber officinale ginger Theobroma cacao cocoa Vigna unguiculata cowpea

7 Effects and Impact of Coconut Scale Insect (CSI) Infestation Usually a minor pest of young coconut in nurseries, CSI is a destructive pest to mature coconut palms. As these settle on the leaves, CSI: sucks the sap that is essential for the growth of the crop; and injects toxic enzymes that result to discolored leaves and deformed plant tissues CSI s feeding causes premature nutfall and low yield (due to sap feeding), and yellowing or chlorosis and wilting (due to toxic enzyme injection).

8 Characteristics of Female Coconut Scale Insect The adult females of almost all armored scale insects (Diaspididae) live under a scale cover formed of secreted wax filaments, cemented by anal excretion, and embedded with the exuviae of the two preceding nymphal stages. The female deposits eggs over a period of few days with incubation of 7 to 8 days after which nymphs crawl out and colonize the plant surfaces for a day life cycle. Diaspidids do not produce honeydew and excrete little material from the anus; unwanted constituents of ingested sap probably are returned to the plant via the mouthparts or are used in scale-cover formation.

9 Characteristics of Female Coconut Scale Insects Scale insects generally have low vagability (capacity or tendency of an organism or a species to move about or disperse in a given environment) such that sedentary coccoid females usually spend their entire lives on a single host plant and oviposit there. Although most species of scale insects reproduce sexually, seven different kinds of parthenogenesis (ability to reproduce without males) are known in coccoids wherein the flightless and usually sessile females are unable to seek out males.

10 Egg Protection of Coconut Scale Insects Scale insects have evolved a variety of methods to protect their eggs and hatching crawlers from unfavorable abiotic conditions and natural enemies: Scale covers, wax layers, and tests that protect the adult female also serve to shelter her eggs and crawlers but other wax exudations appear to function only to increase the survival of progeny; and Wax filaments often densely coat the eggs of scale insects and may protect eggs from desiccation or prevent them from sticking to each other.

11 Mode of Dispersal of Coconut Scale Insect Ample evidence exists that newly emerged f irst-instar scale insects (nymphs) are the main dispersal agents. In Diaspididae, the nymphs (crawlers) dispersed passively by the wind and, though mortality is very high, may be carried for distances of a few meters to several km, and more rarely a few hundred km, from the natal trees. However, if conditions are favorable, crawlers usually settle on the natal host plant and often close to their mother, leading to an aggregative distribution

12 Gender Characteristics of Coconut Scale Insect Nymphs In Diaspididae, in which there is sexual dimorphism of body color in eggs and first-instar nymphs, female crawlers are more active and wander further from the maternal scales than male crawlers. Sexual dichronism, or the production of male and female offspring at different times, is apparent in some scale insects with sexually dimorphic crawlers. In armored scale insects, the production of females first may be advantageous if food quality diminishes over time because males do not feed in the last three instars.

13 CSI Infestation Control Options Control Options Control Agents Key Strength Key Weakness Silent Spring Synthetic Chemical Control Dinotefuran, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, methidathion and white oils Turbulence created by low-flying helicopterspraying may cause insecticide mists to reach ventral portion of infested leaves Not usually recommended, even if reduced risk (to human) pesticides, as these may also kill the natural enemies present or introduced in the field. Phytosanitary Measures National and/or LGU Agriculture Quarantine Officers Police powers of the state may and can be invoked if clear and present danger to the economy is proven. Quarantine border surveillance should be strict on the movement of planting material to avoid spread of scale. Cultural Control Farmers CSI can be eradicated from new areas by destroying infested plants and plant parts. Weak and neglected plantations are particularly susceptible to damage by A. destructor.

14 CSI Infestation Control Options Control Options Control Agents Key Strength Key Weakness Biological Control Coccinellid beetles: Pseudoscymnus anomalus, Rhyzobius spp. and Telsimia nitida. Takes advantage of predators and/or parasitoids as natural control agents that prevent population explosions of damagecausing species. Pest outbreaks can occur as a result of loss of enemies due to natural causes such as droughts and cyclones as well as indiscriminate Silent Spring chemical applications. Physiodynamic Control Fatty acid methyl esters, amino acid combinations, metabolic activators (enzymes and hormones) Organic substances applied for either immediate selective disruption of the pest life-cycle and/or the supply of precursors needed by host plant for allelochemical response. Although the solvent polymerization effect on the waxy scale of the target pests is known, there is not much literature on the synthesis by the host plants of compounds that stimulate beneficial or inhibit harmful organisms.

15 Immediate CSI Infestation Control and Plant Recovery Suggestions For the immediate reduction of the CSI population, dinotefuran be applied as trunk injection, up to two times 2-3 weeks apart, instead of foliar spray that may drift to water bodies or soil applied that may leach to ground water ( insect-mite/ddt-famphur/dinotefuran/dinotef_venom_den_0108.pdf). Dinotefuran application can also affect sucking and chewing insect pests like Brontispa longgisima that kill young coconuts replanted to replace senile palms. Optionally, the same trunk bore holes can also be the route of administration of amino acid precursors and metabolic activators for allelochemical response and/or yield recovery by the treated plants.

16 References: 1. Coconut scale insect That voracious pest called coconut scale insect com_content&view=article&id=2145%3athat-voracious-pest-calledcoconut-scale-insect&itemid=41 3. Adaptations in scale insects 4. Sprayed to death: Path dependence, lock-in and pest control strategies Quezon ARCCESS Business Development Service Office