Emergence pattern of Coffee white stem borer, Xylotrechus quadripes Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) across age groups and estimation of base line population

• Published in: Environment and ecology Vol. 40; no. 4; p. 2023
• Main Authors: Avinash, Pradeep, S, Shivanna, B K, Sridhara, S, Madaiah, D, Revannavar, Revanna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kalyani MKK Publications 01.10.2022
• Subjects: Adults; Age; Age determination; Age groups; Beetles; Borers; Coffee; Coleoptera; Data acquisition; Plantations; Winter
• ISSN: 0970-0420

In order to achieve successful management of coffee white stem borer in a plantation with heterogenous age group, understanding the emergence pattern of the CWSB across age groups and knowing the intensity of infestation in terms of baseline population is a prerequisite. Thus, emergence pattern of CWSB across age groups in a severely infested arabica coffee plantation with mixed aged plants was studied during winter emergence in 2020. The results revealed that, there is no significant variation in the emergence of CWSB adults across 8 age groups studied. However, amongst the 8 age groups studied, highest mean emergence per sleeved plant was observed in 7-8 year old plants in the winter emergence of 2020 (0.48 CWSB adults/infested plants). Our investigation also showed that, there is a significant difference in the emergence of beetle across months in the winter emergence of 2020. The data showed that, significantly maximum beetles per infested plant emerged in the month October (0.85 beetles/infested plant), followed by November (0.34 beetles/infested plants). Further, a total of 126 CWSB adults were observed emerging from a total of 80 sleeved infested arabica plants belonging to 8 different age groups studied. Out of all the age groups studied, highest total number of CWSB adults was seen emerging from the age group 7-8 years (19 CWSB adults or 1.9 CWSB adults/plant/ emergence season).With the results and data acquired in the preceding experiment, base line population of CWSB adults in one acre area of a new experimental plot was estimated. The data showed that, a total of 203 infested arabica plants were located and labeled across different age groups out of an over 1000 plants subjected for survey in one acre area. Further, based on the data on mean number of CWSB adults emerging from different age category plants from previous experiment, the expected baseline population of the pest in one acre area was predicted to be 318.1 CWSB adults/acre.