PCA Urges Coco Farmers To Combat Brontispa Infestation

PCA Urges Coco Farmers To Combat Brontispa Infestation

By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The Philippine Coconut Authority(PCA)has found solutions both biological and chemical means to help coco farmers in the province to combat the destructive infestation of Bron- tispa pests.

This was the essence of an interview with LSDE by PCA-Maasin Head Manuel Sembrano at his office located at the provincial capitol here.

He disclosed that PCA provincial office has now conducted massive information drive against the dreadful effects of the Brontispa infestation in all municipalities of the whole province to coconut farmers, Barangay Captains, Mayors, Vice-Mayors and other concerned LGU officials with the involvement of the Office of the Municipal Agricultural Services (OMAS) staff.

Sembrano hinted that if their conduct of the massive information drive against the pestering pests will go smoothly, with the cooperation and participation of concerned farmers, the said activity could be finished within the duration of one month.

The PCA head informed that his office and that of the OMAS in every municipality has informed in advance the coco farmers and all other high LGU officials and stakeholders concerning PCA’s intention to come to their places for such an important activity against this particular pests, whose mission is to wipe out the coconut industry of the Philippines, known as “the tree of life” because of its many beneficial and useful parts.

He informed that during their info drive that were attended by hundreds more or less, PCA personnel have taught the participants how to detect the Brontispa’s presence on young coconuts in their farms and the signs of their infestation. They also taught them, he said, how to kill the pests by chemical and biological ways.

Above all the coconut farmers and the other attendees were also instructed to report immediately to the PCA main office or to the Office of the Municipal Agriculture Service (OMAS) in their respective municipality any sign of the infestation so that it can be addressed right away.

Earlier, this correspondent was invited by the PCA head prior to the completion of the interview to go with him to brgy. Combado to see for myself also the physical appearance of the Brontispa pests. We rode on his motorcycle until we reached an area, not very far from where he lives. He pulled up and we got off and walked towards several two–year-old coconuts planted along the highway.

He pointed to the infested leaves of young coconuts and went near it. We scoured the folded leaves of young coconut fronds and found some Brontispa longissima crawling upon it now turned-brownish as sign of its infestation.”The brownish colored leaves is an indication of the presence of many pupae”, the third stage in the development of Brontispa,”he said.

He caught one Brontispa and passed it on to me. The small insects’ appearance is somewhat harmless to look at. But actually they are deadly to the growth of young coconuts. I examined its form and it has nothing to be feared about.Nonetheless, its appearance alone is not enough measure to judge its destructiveness. It’s how the totality of their unchecked destructive clandestine work would result that measure the true nature of its existential mission.

Asked where these harmful insects come from. He revealed that the short-flying pests have come from Vietnam thru rice importation done by the government.”They would ride on vehicles and other means to get to other places,” he said.

Furthermore, PCA Administrator Oscar G. Garin divulged that Brontispa infestation is spreading fast and that infested-coconuts will die within a year if not treated immediately. He strongly enjoined the coconut farmers in all affected regions of the country to help save the coconut industry by relentlessly joining the war against Brontispa.

Aside from the Philippines, the Brontispa infestation has also affected much earlier other five countries and five territories. Namely,Indonesia,South Vietnam,Thailand,China,Australia;Western Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Marianas Island,Guam,Tahiti.

Effective Strategies

The PCA has pointed two effective strategies on how to combat the Brontispa infestation: 1) For the biological approach his office has utilized two friendly insects that would help minimize, if not to wipe out the presence of Brontispa pests in some areas here. These are the parasitoid specie scientifically known as tetrastichus and the earwigs, euphemistically described as black knight terminators in shining armor by the PCA bigwigs.

The latter insects, Sembrano said, commonly habituate among bananas’ dried leaves and hide in matured coconuts fronds and it can be cultured inside the cages.”Earwigs should be feed with Brontispa to accustom themselves of the appearance and the taste of the pests”, he said, “an important step to be taken so that when they are released they would be seeking the Brontispa pests for their food”.

He said that these helpful insects also eat other pests in the farms so that the “accustomization” inside the cages would help them to devour first the Brontispa before eating other insects.

2) For the chemical means is to use PCA’s prescribed chemical spray in liquid form. To get the effective result ,the ratio is 3 tablespoonful for every 16 liters of water to make it effective in killing the brontispa, but still harmless to the plants. There’s also another chemical in powder form, which could be used only if the infestation is so devastating. “This chemical powder is only use as the last resort if there’s a vast unstoppable Brontispa infestation in a coconut farm”, Sembrano said.

However, Sembrano explained that the use of the two friendly insects is only applicable if the infestation is still in small area or is minimal. But in big infestation, chemical use is the best approach to combat and quickly prevent the spread of the destruction of young coconut plants.

Moreover, he said that there’s another way which is simple farm technology to kill the brontispa, other bugs and harmful insects in the farms. The following are the important ingredients for a mixture:

a)two kilos of madre de cacao leaves; b)two kilos of cassava leaves; c)one half kilo of panyawan leaves; d)one gallon of coconut vinegar. Pound very well with an alho (long hardwood pestle) inside the lusong (big , thick hardwood mortar) the madre de cacao, cassava and panyawan leaves until it turns into bits and pieces. Extract the sap by squeezing it very well inside a container and mix it with one gallon of coconut vinegar.

Allow for 7 days to ferment. To apply in the plants add 8 liters of water to the one half liter of mixture and spray on the infected coco plants and in other plants infested with harmful insects.

Still other chemical-free means of spraying/killing the farm pests, he said, are pepper and garlic mix with water. Consult the municipal agriculturist in your place for proper and correct ratio between water and the garlic-pepper concoction to make it effective in killing the pests.

He claimed that the abovementioned blends are money-saving tips because it is cheap, safe for the environment and the human health. It is also proven very effective.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

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