http://buyorganiccoffee.org/927/coffee-borer-beetle/
Coffee Borer Beetle
A major threat to coffee crops in various locations throughout the world is the coffee borer beetle. Hypothenemus hampei, its scientific name, is a small beetle native to Angola in Southern Africa. Over the 20th century is spread to the Americas and to Hawaii. The coffee borer beetle is threat to coffee crops wherever it is found. In the Latin American regions where the pest if found it goes by the names barrenador del café, gorgojo del café and broca del café. Infestation spread via the inadvertent transport of infected beans. The primary way to continue to produce healthy organic coffee when there is an infestation is to hand sort the bean and dry promptly after picking. Various organic approaches can be used to deter and destroy the pest while maintaining an organic crop and organic coffee certification.
Fighting the Coffee Borer Beetle without Pesticides
If you have an organic operation and want to maintain certification you need to use organic means to fight this pest. Here are a few:
Asking the Birds to Help
When young beetles come out of a coffee bean, various birds such as the Yellow and Rufous-capped Warbler feast on these insects. In Costa Rica the presence of these birds by itself reduces infestation by half.
Lethal Parasites
There are wasps native to Africa that are useful in controlling the coffee borer beetle. The wasp lays her
eggs and the offspring eat the beetles. The downside is that the coffee plantation then has lots of stinging wasps flying around. Nevertheless this is a totally organic means of controlling a beetle than can destroy an entire crop. Another wasp found in Togo attacks adult beetles and tends to remain with the crop for a long time. It is widely used on the Arabica coffee plantations of Colombia. If you like Colombian organic coffee brands, be thankful for this approach.
Other Organic Approaches to Fighting the Coffee Borer Beetle
Ants, nematodes, and fungi can be used to help control the coffee borer beetle. All of these approaches allow the grower to control the pest without using chemicals. Besides, even in a non-organic crop, insecticides only work before the pest enters the coffee bean to lay its eggs.
Other Threats to the Coffee Crop
The other well-known threat to coffee crops is coffee leaf rust, la roya. This is a fungus that requires special attention or it will destroy an entire crop. Colombia has made substantial strides in developing strains resistant to roya. In the early 1970’s coffee leaf rust was found in the Americas. In the early 1980’s Cenicafé started work on producing a Colombian leaf rust resistant coffee.
2. A major threat to coffee crops in
various locations throughout the
world is the coffee borer beetle.
Hypothenemus hampei, its scientific
name, is a small beetle native to
Angola in Southern Africa. Over the
20th century is spread to the
Americas and to Hawaii.
3. The coffee borer beetle is threat
to coffee crops wherever it is
found. In the Latin American
regions where the pest if found
it goes by the names
barrenador del café, gorgojo del
café and broca del café.
4. Infestation spread via the
inadvertent transport of
infected beans. The primary
way to continue to produce
healthy organic coffee when
there is an infestation is to
hand sort the bean and dry
promptly after picking.
5. Various organic approaches can
be used to deter and destroy
the pest while maintaining an
organic crop and organic coffee
certification.
9. When young beetles come out
of a coffee bean, various birds
such as the Yellow and Rufouscapped Warbler feast on these
insects. In Costa Rica the
presence of these birds by itself
reduces infestation by half.
11. There are wasps native to Africa
that are useful in controlling
the coffee borer beetle. The
wasp lays her eggs and the
offspring eat the beetles. The
downside is that the coffee
plantation then has lots of
stinging wasps flying around.
12. Nevertheless this is a totally
organic means of controlling a
beetle than can destroy an
entire crop. Another wasp
found in Togo attacks adult
beetles and tends to remain
with the crop for a long time.
13. Nevertheless this is a totally
organic means of controlling a
beetle than can destroy an
entire crop. Another wasp
found in Togo attacks adult
beetles and tends to remain
with the crop for a long time.
14. It is widely used on the Arabica
coffee plantations of Colombia.
If you like Colombian organic
coffee brands, be thankful for
this approach.
16. Ants, nematodes, and fungi can
be used to help control the
coffee borer beetle. All of these
approaches allow the grower to
control the pest without using
chemicals.
17. Besides, even in a non-organic
crop, insecticides only work
before the pest enters the coffee
bean to lay its eggs.
19. The other well-known threat to
coffee crops is coffee leaf rust,
la roya. This is a fungus that
requires special attention or it
will destroy an entire crop.
Colombia has made substantial
strides in developing strains
resistant to roya.
20. In the early 1970’s coffee leaf
rust was found in the Americas.
In the early 1980’s Cenicafé
started work on producing a
Colombian leaf rust resistant
coffee.
21. The Colombian leaf rust
resistant coffee comes in two
varieties, Colombian and
Castillo. The first is a cross
between an old Colombian
variety, Caturra, and a rustresistant strain from Southeast
Asia, the Timor hybrid.
22. Castillo is an offshoot of further
cross breeding of the first
Colombian leaf rust resistant
coffee strain.
23. Replanting with Colombian leaf
rust resistant coffee in
Colombia has reduced the
incidence of leaf rust from 40%
to 5% from 2011 to 2013. As
with the coffee borer beetle the
best treatment is prevention.
