The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Coco-bucket for controlling pests

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Friday, Mar 21, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Coco-bucket for controlling pests

Special Correspondent

PCI has developed the eco-friendly technology
Field trails were conducted in 400 acres of plantations

BANGALORE: To eliminate pests — red palm weevil (RPW) and rhinoceros beetle (RB) —affecting coconut palms, a Bangalore-based firm has designed pheromone based coco-bucket to trap insects.

The Coconut Development Board (CDB) has decided adopt the low-cost technology for mass trapping of insets in coconut plantations in the State.

The Pest Control India (PCI) Limited has developed the indigenous and eco-friendly technology after conducting field trails in 400 acres of plantations in four coconut growing States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, said K.P. Jayanth, vice-president, PCI. The project was funded by Technology Mission on Coconut of the Centre.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, Dr. Jaynath nearly 25 per cent of coconut trees infected with pests died in gardens of Kerala and Karnataka. Adults of RPW lay their eggs in wounds along the trunk, through which they gain entry and feeding by large number of larvae cause reduction in yield and later death of trees. Several trials conducted by the PCI have indicated that pheromone traps are ideal for the control of RB and RPW in coconut plantations.

“Since the symptoms of the pest infestation appear late and the grubs are well protected within the trunk, chemical control of the pest is ineffective. Mass trapping with aggregation pheromone, which attracts both female and male, has been found to be the most reliable measure for managing the pests,” he said.

One trap (coco-bucket) per hectare is to be installed in the plantation and it is to be erected about five feet from the ground level for any tree other than coconut. The bucket is fixed by pouring two litres of water along with coconut shavings as food bait and half tea spoon of detergent as wetting agent to kill the trapped adult insects. The traps must be serviced at least once in two weeks for removing the dead beetles and to replace water to compensate for loss due to evaporation. The cost of each unit is Rs. 120. The RB insect is named rhinoceros beetle because the male bears a horn on the middle of its head. The beetles attack the coconut trees and damage the growing parts of the palms.

The CDB has adopted the technology in six clusters in Maddur, Chamarajanagar, Chennarayapatna, Tiptur, Arsikere and Kadur. The Board has erected 2,700 coco-buckets in six clusters, said Board’s Bangalore division Deputy Director Vijay Kumar Hallikeri.

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