So what's the problem?
The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, is the most damaging pest of coffee crops. It has wrought havoc in the coffee regions of many countries around the world, including Indonesia, South America and South East Asia, and it is now threatening to cross the West Papua border into Papua New Guinea – one of the last two remaining coffee nations without the pest. If successful, it will almost certainly plunge the coffee industry – said to be worth 400 million kina per year (US $145 million) – into extreme danger.
What is this project doing?
This project applies CABI’s vast experience of managing the coffee berry borer gained in Africa and Latin America to address the problem in Indonesia. CABI will be spearheading a team of researchers from a number of partner organisations. The team will be paying particular attention to Sulawesi and Papua in Indonesia, where they aim to manage the pest problem, whilst putting prevention and incursion procedures in place in Papua New Guinea, where the pest is not yet known to occur.
Results so far
Much has already been achieved in this project. Master facilitators have been trained in integrated pest management (IPM) for coffee, with particular attention to the coffee berry borer and how to control it effectively and sustainably. Similarly, farmer field schools have been run to good effect. We have found that a combination of treatments, including pruning, sanitation, application of Beauveria bassiana (a fungus) and attractant (ethanol-methanol) trapping, gives the highest profit margin.
Two integrated pest management trials have been run in Indonesia to good effect and the results presented along with further information about the pest at the International Association of Coffee Sciences (ASIC) meeting. Detected in Papua New Guinea in 2009 (on the border with Indonesia) and successfully contained and eradicated, the team sought the coffee berry borer’s possible route into the country. Three pathways were identified; human movement; export and import of coffee; and internal movement of coffee. Based on these, surveillance strategies and sampling methods for the pest have been developed for implementation. The team is also producing materials to help build public awareness of the pest on the border between Papua New Guinea and Papua in Indonesia.
Project reports
Project flyer
Project Executive
Wai-Hong Loke
Address: P.O. Box 210, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: +60 (0)3 89432921
Email: loke@cabi.org
Project Manager
Soetikno S. Sastroutomo
Tel: +60 3 8943 2921/ 3641
Email: s.soetikno@cabi.org
Project Team
Djamila Djeddour
Address: Bakeham Lane, Egham, Surrey, TW209TY, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1491 829055
Email: d.djeddour@cabi.org
Martin Kimani
Address: ICRAF Complex, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, P.O. Box 633-00621, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 020 7224450
Email: m.kimani@cabi.org
Keng-Yeang Lum
Email: ky.lum@cabi.org
Sean T Murphy
Tel: +44 (0)1491 829071
Email: s.murphy@cabi.org
George Oduor
Tel: +244 222338671 /78
Email: g.oduor@cabi.org
Bryony Taylor
Tel: +44 (0)1491 829014
Email: b.taylor@cabi.org
Project Development Officer
Janet Stewart
Address: Nosworthy Way, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX108DE, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1491 829464
Email: j.stewart@cabi.org
Senior Supplier
Senior User
Julie Flood
Tel: +44 (0)1491 829043
Email: j.flood@cabi.org
Dennis Rangi
Tel: +254 20 72 24450
Email: d.rangi@cabi.org
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