Rhinoceros beetle damages in Mozambique

[Marcos Freire]

Dear all,
Just came from the field in Zambezia, Mozambique, and noticed that the
situation is quite bad.
After the devastation by CLYD (killing the coconut palms, the
rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes) cames in and reproduces increasing the
killing.

See this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAkZsRjnoz8

Any ideas on the control of the beetle (other than burning the dead
trees as quick as possible). Any chemical method?

Have a couple of photos to share. How do I post them?.

Regards,

Marcos Freire
Research Coordinator
Millennium Challenge Account Mozambique
Mozambique Agrarian Research Institute (IIAM)
Farmer Income Support Project )FISP)

[Bob's main]

Hi Marcos

The beast in the video is the larva of the rhino beetle, it lives in
or under rotting logs. The adult is the life stage that does the
damage. There are three well know methods of control for this
important pest:
1) destroy all the larval feeding sites within and near the
plantation, that is remove all rotting logs, coconut and tree.
2) treat the breeding sites with the insect fungus Beauvaria or
Metarhizium. Perhaps many of our members will know where cultures of
these can be obtained.
3) treat the adults with a virus disease Baculovirus oryctes. Perhaps
many of our members will know where cultures of this can be obtained.

A combination of all three works best but while waiting for the
disease cultures you could start straight away be destroying the
breeding sites. I am not aware of any chemical method that is both
safe and effective against this pest.

Best of luck.


Bob Macfarlane

[Hugh Harries]

Bob

You comments on a potential fourth rhino beetle control method would be welcome:

Like palm weevil grubs, rhino beetle grubs are edible and, as an alternative to destroying the LY palm trunks these might be used as CONTROLLED breeding sites where the grubs are "harvested" and processed on-farm for chicken or cattle food. The coconut farmers would even  recoup some of their losses by selling dry RGM (rhino grub meal) to produce pet food (or freshly killed grubs to restaurants catering for tourists and connoisseurs).

Yet another use for the coconut!

Hugh

2009/8/10 Bob's main <scap...@xtra.co.nz>

[Maria Luz George]

And the coconut wood 'processed' by the grubs make excellent potting media!

[Marcos Freire]

Luz,
A little before getting your message I was commenting about how the
"processed wood" looks like potting mix. Good to know that somebody
used it before.

All,
The sheer number of dead coconut trees (a good part killed by CLYD)
makes usage of trunks very messy and difficult. The rhino Beetle is
just compounding the effect and making things much worse.

Any control method (specially chemical) would be confined to young
plantations. Actually found a few young palms (younger than 2-3 years)
already destroyed by Oryctes. If the meristem is not yet attacked the
leaves look like handcrafts.

Marcos

On Aug 10, 1:04 pm, Maria Luz George <mlgeo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> And the coconut wood 'processed' by the grubs make excellent potting media!
>

> On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 6:56 PM, Hugh Harries <hugh.harr...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
> > Bob
>

> > You comments on a potential *fourth *rhino beetle control method would be

> > welcome:
>
> > Like palm weevil grubs, rhino beetle grubs are edible and, as an
> >> alternative to destroying the LY palm trunks these might be used as
> >> CONTROLLED breeding sites where the grubs are "harvested" and processed
> >> on-farm for chicken or cattle food. The coconut farmers would even  recoup
> >> some of their losses by selling dry RGM (rhino grub meal) to produce pet
> >> food (or freshly killed grubs to restaurants catering for tourists and
> >> connoisseurs).
>
> > Yet another use for the coconut!
>
> > Hugh
>

> > 2009/8/10 Bob's main <scapa...@xtra.co.nz>

[Maria Luz George]

Hi Marcos,

I didn't use it (yet), the idea came to me when I saw the grubs in action in Ghana.  In the Philippines, microbial amendments and other organic enrichments are added to the coconut coir dust (cocopeat), and sold for a good price as organic fertilizer.  It is a community level enterprise.  The same thing can be done with the 'naturally processed wood', I think, and doing this (in a controlled system) will help to clear the field of rotting wood, so that's 3 advantages: food, potting mix or organic fertilizer, and pest control.

fried grubs, anyone?

[Magna Sana Consultants]

Has anyone considered to look at the BRIX  ( Sugar levels )  levels in the actual stem or leave of the palm tree. I am not very familiar CLYD, but from our experience with any vegetative food crops, trees or shrubs, the opinion has been established,  that,  -  If the plant is lacking basic mineralization then the plant becomes infested by pest. Pests or vermin’s, sucker insects, grubs or fungus etc.etc. – Mineralization is responsible for the Glycol levels in plants. In simple terms Glycol = Sugar = Alcohol. Alcohol is a very effective pest control mechanism build in to the plants (trees) defense system, against  pest. Through high  Brix levels, sugar and mineralization levels a pro-plant environment will  be established while with lack of mineralization infestation of any possible pest according to local climate, soil, and other specific  prevalence will occur.

 

Regards,

 

Ben K Hugi

 

Reference : http://blog.sperdirect.com/Blog/?Tag=brix

 

Brix Resources for the Consumer and Farmer

(Note this is not an exhaustive list, but merely several possibilities)

ONLINE Articles and books

• http://crossroads.ws/brixbook/BBook.htm--Rex Harrill’s Online Brix Book
• http://www.crossroads.ws/Q&A/BrixQ&A1.htm--Brix Questions Answered
• http://www.crossroads.ws/CRActive/PikeAg.htm--How to Grow High-Brix Crops

Where to buy refractometers

• Pike Agri-Lab Supplies Inc. RR2, Box 710, Strong, ME 04983 (207-684-5131)
• National Industrial Supply, 392 S. Miraleste Drive #492, San Pedro, CA 90732 (310-748-6858)
• Eco-friendly farm and garden suppliers in many areas
  http://www.ebay.com

Email List

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrixTalk--an email list focused on discussing high-brix farming and gardening

Agricultural Laboratories and Consultants

• Pike Agrilab http://www.pikeagri.com/
• International Ag Laboratory http://www.aglabs.com/
• Nutri-Tech Solutions http://www.nutri-tech.com.au/
• Soil Foodweb, Inc. www.soilfoodweb.com--not specifically about brix, but about soil that supports high brix crops

Books

(Many of these books are available from Pike Agrilab or Acres USA)

• The Anatomy of Life & Energy in Agriculture, Arden Andersen, PhD, D.O.
• Mainline Farming for Century 21, Dan Skow, DVM
• Science in Agriculture, Arden Andersen, PhD, D.O.
• The Albrecht Papers, Volumes I-IV, William A. Albrecht, PhD
• Nourishment Homegrown, Alexander Beddoe, DDS
• The Non-Toxic Farming Handbook, Phillip Wheeler & Ron Ward

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: 270.13.49/2295 - Release Date: 08/10/09 18:19:00

[Bob's main]

Hi all

With ideas like all these we will never want for solutions.  There is no doubt the waste product (frass) from a rhino beetle larva would produce a beautiful looking, fine, potting mix much like the result from a worm culture; I would add a couple of problems however, 1) the life cycle of the rhinoceros larva is long and slow; to get a decent size larva take 4-5 months or more. 2) any larva culture must be (as Maria says) in a controlled system so the adult cannot get out or you will just end up with more pest problems than you started with.

These are all fine ideas but they do not solve Marco's original problem which is the shear scale of the issue, that is, hundreds of dead or dying palms all of which are potential breeding sites for the larvae.  In the 1980s a large research project in the Pacific worked on this pest and until they discovered the virus the only method of control recommended was the destruction of all dead palms, including the stump, before it was worth even considering to plant new palms.  There is really no point in planting new palms in an old plantation until the rhino beetle problem is solved.  

Marcos if you contact me direct at <Bob.mac...@maf.govt.nz> or <scap...@xtra.co.nz>  I may be able to help find a source of baculovirus.  You can also find more information at : Ecoport: Macfarlane (2006) and at Integrated Pest Management Information Package.

I hope that is of some help.

Bob

[Hugh Harries]

Bob

Please do not think that I am knocking your advice just because you seem to have a prejudice against "fine ideas" but it is the scale of the problem that you correctly identify, and not the age of adult larvae, that makes stump destruction uneconomical, that allows healthy beetles, uninfected by baculovirus, to fly in from outside BUT which makes management of "beetle farming" a practical possibility.

Hugh

2009/8/11 Bob's main <scap...@xtra.co.nz>

[danm...@teledata.mz]

I think Mr Hugi has a valid point i am not in this field but have lived in Zambezia for the past 15 years. I have watched the disintegration of the plantations  and have always been of the opinion that the lack of inputs, change in rainfall patterns and the fact that 80pct of our plantations are senile are the main contibuting factors to their current condition.

Regards

Nicolas Kassimatis

> Has anyone considered to look at the BRIX ( Sugar levels ) levels in the
> actual stem or leave of the palm tree. I am not very familiar CLYD, but
> from
> our experience with any vegetative food crops, trees or shrubs, the
> opinion
> has been established, that, - If the plant is lacking basic
> mineralization then the plant becomes infested by pest. Pests or vermin's,

> sucker insects, grubs or fungus etc.etc. - Mineralization is responsible

> for
> the Glycol levels in plants. In simple terms Glycol = Sugar = Alcohol.
> Alcohol is a very effective pest control mechanism build in to the plants
> (trees) defense system, against pest. Through high Brix levels, sugar
> and
> mineralization levels a pro-plant environment will be established while
> with lack of mineralization infestation of any possible pest according to
> local climate, soil, and other specific prevalence will occur.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
> Ben K Hugi
>
>
>
> Reference : http://blog.sperdirect.com/Blog/?Tag=brix
>
>
>
> Brix Resources for the Consumer and Farmer
>
> (Note this is not an exhaustive list, but merely several possibilities)
>
> ONLINE Articles and books
>

> * http://crossroads.ws/brixbook/BBook.htm--Rex Harrill's Online Brix
> Book
> * http://www.crossroads.ws/Q
> <http://www.crossroads.ws/Q&A/BrixQ&A1.htm> &A/BrixQ&A1.htm--Brix
> Questions
> Answered
> * http://www.crossroads.ws/CRActive/PikeAg.htm--How to Grow High-Brix

> Crops
>
> Where to buy refractometers
>

> * Pike Agri-Lab Supplies Inc. RR2, Box 710, Strong, ME 04983
> (207-684-5131)
> * National Industrial Supply, 392 S. Miraleste Drive #492, San Pedro,
> CA 90732 (310-748-6858)
> * Eco-friendly farm and garden suppliers in many areas
> http://www.ebay.com
>
> Email List
>
> * http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrixTalk--an email list focused on

> discussing high-brix farming and gardening
>
> Agricultural Laboratories and Consultants
>

> * Pike Agrilab http://www.pikeagri.com/
> * International Ag Laboratory http://www.aglabs.com/
> * Nutri-Tech Solutions http://www.nutri-tech.com.au/
> * Soil Foodweb, Inc. www.soilfoodweb.com--not specifically about brix,

> but about soil that supports high brix crops
>
> Books
>

> (Many of these books are available from Pike <http://www.pikeagri.com/>
> Agrilab or Acres USA <http://www.acresusa.com> )
>
> * The Anatomy of Life & Energy in Agriculture, Arden Andersen, PhD,
> D.O.
> * Mainline Farming for Century 21, Dan Skow, DVM
> * Science in Agriculture, Arden Andersen, PhD, D.O.
> * The Albrecht Papers, Volumes I-IV, William A. Albrecht, PhD
> * Nourishment Homegrown, Alexander Beddoe, DDS
> * The Non-Toxic Farming Handbook, Phillip Wheeler & Ron Ward

> />>

[Hugh Harries]

Ben

Coconut palm sap is loaded with sugar which maybe why the rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes spp) comes out of the African jungle and the palm weevil (Rhynchophorus spp) out of the South American rainforest into undefended coconut plantations.

Hugh

2009/8/11 Magna Sana Consultants <hug...@bigpond.net.au>

[Bob's main]

Hugh

I do truly think they are all "fine ideas" and I certainly don't have a prejudice against them; but the problem sounds to be very big, way bigger than anything that beetle farming could have any real impact on.  Certainly the adult beetles are coming out of the surrounding bush but once they find the rotting palm trunks and stumps their numbers increase dramatically, well in excess of the numbers found naturally in the natural bush; the subsequent large numbers of emerging adults cause serious damage to any healthy palm (young or old) within or near the plantation.  To my knowledge the only mechanism that has successfully dealt with such situations in anything like an environmentally sound and sustainable way is the combination of cultural and biological methods I listed.

If you want to try to farm the larvae then I suggest that as the trunks and stumps are destroyed the larvae can be removed and bred in a controlled environment.  Sterilized cow dung and sawdust makes an excellent medium or you could just use a pile of rotting palms.  However, both must be suitably enclosed to prevent adult emergence.   If the trunks and stumps are not destroyed then the adults, continuously flying in from outside, will be a continuous source of new outbreaks.  To my understanding of the situation it would not be possible to protect every dead stump and trunk to stop adults laying eggs and subsequently new adults, in large numbers, emerging and damaging palms.  It is well known that chickens love the larvae the trick will be to farm the larvae without allowing a pest situation to fester.

Happy to discuss further as needed.

Bob

[Magna Sana Consultants]

Hello All,

 

It is not only sugar or Glycol!  It is primarily mineralization which determine  the Glycol levels, which makes the plant resistant.

( Ratio of Sugar to mineralization+ Protective Factor  and not how much sugar!!!)

For instance : Sugar /Mineralization ratio issues are common with older plantations.  Some of the plantations have been planted back in colonial times. If the tree planting is not fallen far back as the twenties and thirties, or at least before second world war.  Eventually,  it is still the same plot  or plantation grounds which have been used over decades without any soil restoration other than foliage composting. Composting foliage, which was equally deficient in mineralization as the soil which produced the leafy foliage in the first place.  Over decades of soil exploitation and no regeneration of the soil condition, the mineral exhaustion of the plantation as causal issue, becomes apparent.!

 

As we know that coconut palm-tree-sap from younger palms produces a much more vigorous fermentation in the processing of traditional “Toddy”, “Kallu” “Jaggery”  than the sap of older or perhaps exhausted palm trees, which have reached  35- 40 +  years of age.  More vigorous fermentation because of higher Glycol content??  If the plantation is over 40 years, or even older, considering the collapse of the coconut industry dates back to the mid- fifties, and no more funding was entering the coconut-industry,  Since then.  not many coconut plantations throughout the coconut belt from east to west have been properly managed (Except the Philippines and some small areas in Thailand)

 

Should  we then, not consider the CLYD as an expression of a fertilizer problem and a precursor to render the coconut palm vulnerable to Weevil and Rhino beetle infestation.

Is THIS possibly one of the reasons that the plantations in the Philippines are not affected. As those plantation are younger on build on unspoiled soils with a good fertilizer profiles.

Traditional palm sugar production from coconut palm in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have stepped virtually into non existence, because their old coconut palms (Some are 45 years and older) are not able to deliver sufficient saturated sap and  the sapping is punishing the old palm stock too much rendering the trees unable to sustain and  maintain good health.

 

Following, I have added a text extract about “Brixing” for people to look at the possibility and not at the impossibility of the Brix concept as a modality of exploration and application in the field particularly with younger high yield plantations. Preventing possible plant exhaustion with simple inexpensive measures.

 

I also would like to refer to the book written by MIKE FOALE : The Coconut Odyssey: The bounteous possibilities of the tree of life.

 

ISBN : 1 86320 369 9 (printed)

ISBN : 1 86320 370 2 (online)

 

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, GPO Box 1571, Canberra ACT 2601

http:// aciar.gov.au – e-mail: ac...@aciar.gov.au

 

In this particular publication Mike Foale is showing on Table 5.1:  Variations of common nutrient deficiencies.

Visual symptoms: leaflet colour variation or abnormal shape of frond/leaflet.

--------------------------

 

 What is Brix?

Plant sap contains nutrients which feed it, and determine its health and resistance to disease and stress. The Brix is the % of dissolved Solids in the Sap.

 

How is Brix measured?

The solids in plant sap are measured as Brix using a Refractometer. The Brix measurement is read as the % of dissolved solids in the sap. For example a low quality apple would show a Brix reading of 7.4 or below, this indicates there is 7.4% or less solids in the sap of the apple.

 

Why is it important to a plant?

A high Brix sap has a reduced water activity which is the ratio of sap to pure water vapour pressure. With this low water activity a High Brix sap has a reduced freezing point and subsequently a greater frost resistance. Each additional Brix unit protects a plant by a further 0.5C.  In the other extreme, this reduced water activity produces a proportionally greater tendency to retain moisture, and increase heat wilt resistance.

While the temperature or pH can influence if and how fast a organism will grow, the level of water activity may be the most important factor.

Higher Brix levels prevent bacterial and fungal infestations and thus increase storage life. Most bacteria for example, do not grow at water activities below 0.91 (around 9 mole % dissolved solids, corrected for molecular weights) and most moulds cease to grow at Water Activities below 0.80 (over 20 mole % dissolved solids). Water Activity is thus a critical factor in determining shelf life as well as field success.

Brix sap levels in excess of 12% also generally ensure against sap-sucking insect infestations.

In addition,a high Brix level provides proportionally greater nutritional content of the food; and ensures good old-fashioned, true nature-ripened flavour. This is especially evident where the refractometer shows a diffuse or spread reading, indicating a variety of complex dissolved plant proteins and flavour components in good proportions, indicating high food value for the consumer

 

 According to Bruce Tainio:

o    The desired sap pH-level for optimal plant growth and production is pH 6.4.

o    If sap pH exceeds 6.4, then the most likely cause will be a shortage of the anions of nitrogen, phosphate or sulphur.

o    At pH 8 the likelihood of insect trouble is 100%.

o    Conversely, if sap pH is lower than 6.4, then there is a cation problem, with possible deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, potassium and/or sodium.

 Low sap pH suggests a far greater potential for foliar disease. For example, at pH 4.5 the probability for fungal appearance is 100%.

 

Regards,

 

Ben K Hugi

[DOLLET Michel]

Hello,

For sure  Bob is totally right, when he writes, in other words, that Oryctes at first... is a PEST!  a huge pest in Mozambique. I can not say it is at the same level as LY, but for instance in Cabo Delgado, probably some old plantations  were destroyed because of  this pest (picture 1). And it it is a real danger for young coconuts too, in the very first age immediately after plantation (Picture2- in Zambesia).
The big problem in Mozambique (Zambesia as well Cabo Delgado), is that there are several old plantations more or less abandonned with high rate of Rhynchophous attacks and most of the trunks are reservoirs for of new emerging insects. As in Mozambique, there is a big programme of replanting in Zambesia and Nampula   Oryctes must be treated as a pest problem. There are also abandonned old plantations with high level of Oryctes in Zambesia (Picture3).
Priority must be eradication and burning of LY affected trees as soon as possible in order to limit, if possible, propagation of LY, and Oryctes development. But abandonned plantations should also be destroyed and burned.
If burning is a problem the other solution is to cover the cutted trunks with vegetation. Puerria javanica when sown within one year after cutting is very  efficient. Of course Pueraria must be sown during rainy season!  Virus control of O. monoceros (from Africa) is not so good as for O. rhynoceros (Asia) and it is probably not a solution by itself. (Look at the book  "Integrated pest management of tropical perennial crops" D. Mariau editor. Cirad Science Publisher, Inc;ISSN 1251-7224, ISBN 2-87614-325-9).
Just for information, a good way to prevent young coconuts to be attacked by Oryctes is to put a old used fish-net around  the bases of the leaves ( Philippe and Dery 2004; Cord vol 20 N°1, 43-51).

Regards

Michel Dollet
UPR29
CIRAD


   when ha says Bob's main a écrit :

-- 
Michel DOLLET
Head Research Unit 29 : Etiology Wilts
CIRAD-BIOS
TA A 29/F
Campus International de Baillarguet
34398 Montpellier cedex 5
France 
michel...@cirad.fr 
Tél : 33 (0) 4 67 59 39 22
Fax : 33 (0) 4 67 59 38 19

http://www.cirad.fr/ur/etiologie_deperissements

[Bob's main]

I want to add my 100% support to Michel, it is imperative that the dead and dying palms be removed as soon as possible from the existing and abandoned plantations.  If you can set up a larva culturing business in the process that would be wonderful but destruction of the breeding sites must be the priority, particularly if the farmer wants to continue growing coconuts.  

I have been working from home for the past few days (swine flu) so didn't check my facts as regards the species of Oryctes in Africa.  Certainly if it is a different species to O. rhinoceros than the virus we used in the Pacific may not be so effective. I'm sure, however, as the work in the Pacific and Asia with baculovirus was so successful then similar work will have been done somewhere in Africa on the virus and fungi to control this pest; someone must know about this.  

I would like to hear more about the use of old fishing nets to protect young palms.  Michel do you have any pictures to show how the nets are placed.

Bob

<IMG_0971_Cabo de Ulu.JPG><IMG_0772.jpg><b 61 IMG_2514 Inhassunge.jpg>

[Hugh Harries]

Bob and Michel

Bob, you give "100% support" to Michel, and Michel you say that Bob is "totally right", and both of you agree  that the dead and dying palms be removed as soon as possible from the existing and abandoned plantations.

My lack of total, 100% support for that strategy being right does not mean it is wrong, only that it is impractical for reasons of cost and effectiveness. Even if anyone can afford to pay for the clearing work to be done the beetle will breed in other rotting wood and fly back in from beyond the plantation boundaries

In the second part of an article entitled "Learning to Live with Lethal Yellowing", (due to be published in the next issue of APCC's CocoInfo International), I suggested that ideas such as beetle farming could be discussed by this group. So I am happy  to start now by asking Michel about his old fishing nets. If they protect young seedlings from beetle attack could they also be used to cover piles of rotting coconut stems, to prevent adult beetles emerging during the 4-5 months incubation before grubs can be harvested? Or would chicken wire be better?

Hugh

2009/8/12 Bob's main <scap...@xtra.co.nz>

[Bob's main]

Dear Hugh

I seem to have touched a raw nerve here somewhere.  Sorry.  But the worry I have about trying trying to control this very serious pest by using grub culture is that you end up prolonging the the pest problem.  

Incursions by adult rhino beetles from the forest into a plantations always occur, it is the very nature of the beast to always be seeking out new places to attack.  There is always a low level of attack in all countries with rhino beetle adults coming from the small number of palm plants and rotting palms within the forest.  The problem in this case is that, within the plantation, you have a very large number of dead, dying and rotting palms which are the ideal breeding sites for the rhino beetle; allowing these to remain in the plantation only exposes any live palm (new or old) to prolonged attack by the abnormally large numbers of beetles emerging from these breeding sites.  

If it were economical to somehow protect all the dead, dying and rotting palms either from egg laying by adults or to stop adults emerging from them, then grub culture may be a goer but I suggest that given the scale of things this is impractical for reasons of cost and effectiveness even if you used the cheaper option of old fishing nets.  How, for example, would you wrap dead but still standing palms in nets, or even rotting palms lying on the ground, sufficiently well to prevent the entry or exit of a determined adult rhino beetle (remember it can eat its way into the fibrous heart of a coconut). If the situation described by Marcos at the beginning is anything like the pictures sent by Michel then the problem is very large indeed and will require a serious and concerted effort using a range of methods to resolve.

Grub culture may be one aspect of a potential solution, but as I said earlier I suggest it should be attempted in small manageable protected areas using some of the rotting palms, perhaps supplemented with cow dung and sawdust when these run out, while at the same time making a concerted effort to remove the other breeding sites.  It would then be economical to cover the breeding areas with chicken wire which would certainly be better than old fishing nests in stopping the movement of adults.  I hold serious doubts about the strength of old fishing nets against a determined rhino beetle adult.

Of course by trying grub culture you would make more complicated the other known effective control methods of rhino beetle control, i.e. the viruses and fungi. You would have to ensure wild (possibly diseased) adults did not contaminate your culture.  These biological control methods do not require the removal of the rotten logs it just makes the solution quicker and more certain.

Its an interesting conundrum, lets continue the discussion perhaps we can come up with a useful, unique solution.

Bob

[Marcos Freire (Gmail)]

Dear All,
Thanks everybody for the discussion.
The situation is as bad (probably worst by now) as Michel mentioned (attached a few pics).
At present our project is focusing on smallholder farms (which raises the issue about the control on the privately owned plantations which are not doing enough for the control of both CLYD and Oryctes and are interspersed with the smallholder farms).
We selected the cut and burn process to clean-up attacked areas and destroy the larval feeding sites (in this case the proximity of uncut areas is a problem; these areas may belong to one of the private companies or to a different village not yet involved in the process).
We'll be happy to try virus and fungus to control Oryctes. Was it already tested on O. monocerus?

About the old used fish-nets, just saw a few young plants with it. The biggest problem seems to be the quality of the work while fitting them.

It seems that local people already know that chicken eats the grubs (somebody even mentioned the adults). I'm sure we'll look into it and probably will have to produce extension messages about feeding chicken while cutting and burning palms.

In a few cases, specially in smallholder farms, the problem is not as big because farmers tend to use the wood from the dead trees (not as quick as one would like and is advisable; many trees still have enough time to be used as reproduction grounds for Oryctes.

Although Bob mentioned that there is no point in planting new palms until the rhino beetle problem is solved, we have to do it.  Coconut is the livelihood base for the local population and new plants (productive) are urgently required. Thus the question about the use of chemicals. In this case we could direct spray young growing palms while concentrating in control efforts. Any idea about any useful systemic insecticides.

Marcos

[Bob's main]

Dear Marcos

I am very impressed by the scale of your problem and now not at all surprised at the level of attack you are experiencing on the young newly planted palms.  I fully understand your need to protect the young palms while looking for a more sustainable long term solution.  The fishing nets may give the young palms some protection but I agree putting them in place effectively will be a problem.  I agree also if you have a mixture of smallholders and large plantations then somehow you must involve both.  Perhaps if a short term chemical solution is needed to protect the young palms and an appropriate chemical can be found, then the bulk purchases the large plantations are able to make will bring the price down for  the smallholder too.  It is in the best interests of the large plantations to have the problem in the smallholder plantations under control too or there will be a continuous reservoir of adults ready to invade the large plantations.

The chemical we used 20 years ago in such situations was a granular formulation of BHC but I do not believe it is available today (it was not highly toxic but it is persistent).  It was very effective in such a situation where its side effects were minimized by applying it at a specific point (in the crown of the young palm).  If you can get it then fine but if not then perhaps if you can list what chemicals are available then someone else may be able to advise which is the most likely to be effective.  

I have begun a search for Oryctes virus and hope to have some news for you in a day or so,   However, perhaps someone nearer to you already has a supply of this virus or the fungi.  In the mean time, and seeing that you have such a huge population of larvae, it might be a good idea to collect large numbers of larvae and see if any die naturally of a fungal or other disease. It is probable that there is already in the natural beetle population a fungus that attacks the larvae and it becomes more obvious when numbers are high.  If you were able to extract that fungus and distribute it you would have an excellent chance of getting the population to crash.  If you found larvae dying of fungal attach (usually covered in green or white mycelium) perhaps a local pathologist could extract and multiply the pathogen. The techniques needed will be familiar to most plant pathologist.  The extracted pathogen could then be multiplied and applied to the breeding sites and help reduce the population of the larvae.  

The other control method mentioned, planting Puerria, is also effective but it is slow and is only really effective in hiding the rotting trunks when lying on the ground it will have no effect in stopping the emergence of adults or protection the palms.   In fact it will be essential to ring weed the palms to prevent the plant from smothering the young palms.

I'll be I contact once I have found a source of Oryctes virus.

Bob

<August 2009 699.jpg><August 2009 120.jpg><August 2009 125.jpg><August 2009 662.jpg><August 2009 695.jpg>

[DOLLET Michel]

I send  4 pictures -two in this message, two in the next- about used fishnets for the control of Oryctes. They are used in Ghana with good results. But they must be used (brand new fishnets don't work). They must be put on young coconut very soon after planting..
Picture 1 and 2 two give an idea of how the fishnets must be put on the coconuts (use magnification to look at the base of coconuts for picture2)
On pictures 3 and 4 they were put after a first attack of Oryctes. (You can see some insects trapped in the net) . It is important to control regularly that the net is covering all the bases of the leaves.
Again the reference : Philippe and Dery 2004; Cord vol 20 N°1, 43-51.
I think it is difficult to imagine covering logs with nets : too much nest would be necessary!

It must be said also, that in West Africa, a frequently used control of Oryctes populations in a plot is manual : the insects are removed from the bud region with a metal hook. Here again regular visits of the plots must be done.

About chemical controls : it is possible to use saw dust impregnated with a solution of Karate.
Work was done on pheromones. Some molecules have been identified. But with pheromone traps it is always the same question... is it really a good thing to attract insects  in or close to a plot? of course some insects will go to the traps, but some will go on the coconuts. The debate was opened in latin America with pheromone traps for control of Rhynchophorus in Oil palm plantations. In one plantation at least, they found more insects on palms in the plots where there were pheromones traps.
For the biological control with virus, it was succesfull against O Rhinoceros specially on islands (as usual for biological control). But O. monoceros seems more resistant to the baculovirus. (Philippe and Mariau in " "Integrated pest management of tropical perennial crops" D. Mariau editor. Cirad Science Publisher)

Michel Dollet
UPR 29 CIRAD

Hugh Harries a écrit :

[DOLLET Michel]

Pictures 3 and 4
Michel Dollet


Hugh Harries a écrit :

[Marcos Freire (Gmail)]

Thanks for the pics, got 1 & 2. Can you resend 3 & 4,

Marcos

DOLLET Michel wrote:

[David Lobo]

Hi all,
We use pheromone traps on the outer edge of the garden, but catch/kill only the males.
best.
David

2009/8/13 Marcos Freire (Gmail) <marcosf...@gmail.com>

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[Hugh Harries]

Bob

A quick response to points in your recent posts:

2009/8/12

Dear Hugh

I seem to have touched a raw nerve here somewhere.  Sorry. 

2009/8/12 

The chemical we used 20 years ago in such situations was a granular formulation of BHC but I do not believe it is available today (it was not highly toxic but it is persistent).

1.     You have indeed touched a nerve, but not in the way you mean, and no apology s needed because I am delighted that you and Michel have responded, promptly and in useful detail, to Marcos' inquiry.

Under some circumstances - in isolated locations - beetle control and even elimination may be possible but who will meet the cost? It will be beyond the budget of the coconut farmers, who are expected to take on the extra work, and unless total elimination is achieved the anticipated income from increased coconut production may simply be absorbed by the continuing cost of control.

2.     BHC:  benzene hexachloride and HCH:  gamma-hexachlorohexane have been linked to neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease.

By coincidence the initials of my full name are also HCH, Hugh Christopher Harries, and I often came into contact with these chemicals during my working career and could detect their presence by a tingling sensation around my lips and nostrils. As a second coincidence (?) I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2006!

Perhaps I should have thought of beetle farming 20 years ago when I went to work in Tanzania. The NCDP had already been receiving technical assistance from GTZ and financial support from World Bank for rhino beetle control in anticipation that seedlings replanted as Lethal Disease rehabilitation would require protection. In the event, the hybrids from Ivory Coast were neither LD resistant nor drought tolerant and the Pseudotheraptus fruit sucking bug was recognised to be a more serious problem.

Hence my current interest in "Learning to Live" with pests or diseases by turning attention to alternative sources of income - from selling dry RGM (rhino grub meal) as animal food or freshly killed grubs and heart of palm to restaurants catering for connoisseurs and tourists.

Hugh

[Hugh Harries]

Marcos

 
Some points from recent exchanges:

We use pheromone traps on the outer edge of the garden, but catch/kill only the males.

Present company excepted, males are not needed - but rhinoceros beetle males can be "processed" for sale, as jewellery.
Fishnets for the control of Oryctes are used in Ghana with good results. But they must be *used * (brand new fishnets don't work). It is difficult to imagine covering logs with nets : too much would be necessary!
On the coast, fishing and coconut farming are complementary (nets are mended in the shade of the palms) Inland, fishnets may be uncommon. But virtually unlimited material for making nets is available on every coconut farm - coir fibre.
A frequently used control of Oryctes populations in a plot is manual : the insects are removed from the bud region with a metal hook. Here again regular visits of the plots must be done.
Metal hooks and regular visits have a cost in time and money. If some of that cost can be recovered by selling, not just killing  the catch, the manual labour may be done more thoroughly.
With pheromone traps in or close to a plot some insects will go to the traps, but some will go on the coconuts.
Pheromone traps may be less effective when lethal yellowing is present if the dying palms themselves act as attractants. If so, the early removal of ALL  of suspect palms (claimed to control lethal yellowing) might also reduce beetle attacks. 
Biological control with virus, it was succesful against O.rhinoceros *specially on islands* (as usual for biological control).
Perhaps Bob can tell us about the recent rhinoceros beetle infestation on the island of Guam?
If burning is a problem the other solution is to cover the cut trunks with vegetation . . . and to protect young coconuts put a old used fish-net around  the bases of the leaves.
Anything that might work should be tried - so why not beetle farming?
If you want to try to farm the larvae then . . . you could just use a pile of rotting palms.  However, both must be enclosed to prevent adult emergence.
Cut down the lethal yellowing infected palms as soon as symptoms appear (may be possible to extract "heart of palm"!) and collect any beetles and grubs already present. If the stem (of older palms) is good enough, remove it to a lumberyard. Cut the remaining (softer) stem into manageable logs and pile these over the (unexcavated) stump. Enclose each pile with fishnet, chicken wire or coir net and allow/encourage vegetation to cover it. Make regular visits to collect any incoming or emerging adult beetles. At suitable times (based on local knowledge and experience) lift the net, split the logs to find grubs and remove the frass - and then resecure the net.
The trick will be to farm the larvae without allowing a pest situation to fester.
Are there local, national, regional and international markets for the "products"?

Marcos, You will want to ask our mutual friend who advises and monitors the developing research programme at IIAM about this.

Hugh

[Ir.Riyaldi MM]

Dear friends,   We in Indonesia, control the Rhinoceros beetle by using Baculovirus and Metharizium anisopliae.   Control by using Metharizium anisopliae giving better result compared by Baculovirus.   The methode was very easy, only by spreading Metharizium colonies to the beetle nests area   Thanks,and hopethis information willbeusefulto you all      Riyaldi --- On Sun, 8/16/09, Hugh Harries <hugh.h...@gmail.com> wrote:

[David Lobo]

I asked my team what do they do to control R.Beetles.  This is their reply.
David

Dear Mr.Lobo,
Given below is the management practice being followed by us and used to educate our farmers regarding controlling of Rhinoceros Beetle.

Control measures

Hook out the beetle from the attacked palms using a beetle hook. As a prophylactic measure, fill up the top most three leaf axils in grown up trees or in between  the leaf axils of 2 to 3 bottom leaves in  young plants with Sevidol 8G(25g) + fine sand (200g) or Phorate (Thimet 10G) + Neem cake + river sand   thrice in April, September and December.

Alternately, Place 10.5g naphthalene balls in the leaf axils and cover it with fine sand. To be practiced once in 45 days. 

Use pheromone trap for attracting beetles and kill the trapped beetles. Care should be taken to ensure  that these traps are placed on the boundaries of the land to avoid beetles entering the middle of the land.

 

Spraying 0.01% Carbaryl (50WP) in the breeding sites of the beetle helps destroy the larva. Biological control also is possible through virus Baculovirus oryctus by releasing 10 - 15 virus infected beetles in 1 ha, or mix  metarihzam bio bacteria in the ratio of 5gms in one ltr of water  and spray  to control the grubs of the beetle.

We have also used a virus called Metarahsium, which was supposed to enter the beetle body and start incapacitating the beetle and not allowing it to eat food so that the beetle will die eventually. But this was not very effective as the beetle has to attack the seedling to get the virus attack. We stopped using this.

We have also tried fishnet method as well as placing human hair strands around the young plants in the basin area in Honnavar but the beetle started finding its way to reach the stem area by going underneath.

Thanks
M.MURALI

[Ir.Riyaldi MM]

Dear friends.   As long as I know,  the Metarhizium is not a virus, it is belong to the fungi group.  The virus is Baculovirus.     I allready used both of those control agent,  and the fungi was more effective than the virus.  The fungi also easier to handle   Regards.   Riyaldi     --- On Mon, 8/17/09, David Lobo <davi...@gmail.com> wrote: