UPDATES ON CSI:

Identification and Botanical

Spray to Control it

CB Adalla, PhD

Professor, College of Agriculture

UP Los Banos and Co Convener, UPLB Volunteers for CSI

Status of Government Initiatives

per PCA Interagency Consultation

Workshop held at UPLB, October

2013

1. Life history of coconut scale insect and its coccinelid predators (A.R. Alfiler)

2. Exploring the Dynamics of the Coconut Scale Insect Outbreaks (E.C. Manohar) SAGIP Program in CALABARZON (E.C. Manohar)

3. Coconut Scale Insect: Aspidiotus destructor? Aspidiotus rigidus? Aspidiotus new species? (S.A. Yap and B.L. Caoili) *Studies on morphological aspects of CSI collected from Batangas were determined to be genus Aspidiotus. Adult females vary in length from 0.90-1. 2 in which both A. destructor and A. rigidus qualify. Based on pygmidium (anal part secreting waxy material), specimen can also qualify as destructor and rigidus. *Specimen from PCA, identified by expert Dr. Ireneo Lit Jr. (Museum of Natural History director) to be A. destructor but when sent abroad, it was identified as A. rigidus (By CB Adalla thru her research partners in IPM CRSP Project as early as May 2012)

In general, variations of A. rigidus would fall under destructor

making A. rigidus a subspecies or strain of A. destructor.

� There is a need to compare samples with identified A. rigidus morphologically and

molecularly. *It was very difficult to get samples from Indonesia thus a

government to government communication must be done in order to get samples

for comparison.

4. Mass rearing of C. melas and C. negrita in agencies like RCPC is being done on one

container. Proper sorting should be done. *Fungi isolated from CSI in mangosteen

and coco leaves, an initiative of Dr. Caoili which the PCA could opt to fund in the

future

5. DA-NCPC Action Project for the Control of CSI in Southern Luzon (J.R. Adorada)

This project of the National Crop Protection Center (NCPC) herein presented was

crafted to augment the efforts of PCA.

Focus on the biological control of CSI as a short term solution to the pest problem

while developing long term basis for courses of action such as an understanding the cause

of CSI outbreak and development of a disaster risk management network for pest

outbreaks and other crop protection concern of the country.

Dinotefuran (M. Espiritu) *Dinotefuran’s recommended mode of application is the bark

application. *Dr. Navasero recommended for a valid test of dinotefuran since we cannot

assure that the pesticide did reach the top and was really the reason the tree was

recovering. *Dr. Javier attested the effectiveness of dinotefuran in coconut scale insect

infested trees.

Recovery coconut trees affected by scale insect set

Posted by iNews Philippines on October 2, 2013

PCA Administrator Euclides G. Forbes bared that the implementation of the agency’s SAGIP

Program (Sama-samang Aksyon ng Gobyerno, Industriya at Pamayanan), a massive

operation to control scale insect infestation done by spraying of dishwashing solution

and cochin oil, leaf pruning of young and moderately affected leaves, application of

fertilizer and also the mass production and distribution and release of predators proved

effective as shown by the result.

He said that of the total 476,845 affected trees in various degrees of infestation from low

to severe located in the towns of Agoncillo, Lemery, Sto, Tomas, Talisay, Laurel, Malvar and

Balete in Batangas and Sampaloc in Quezon , 34,588 trees are showing signs of recovery

with the appearance of new leaves.

The administrator emphasized that the Sagip Program is a joint operation with the Local

Government Units (LGU’s) and Barangays. He said that while .05 percent of the 340 million

coconut trees are affected, this is not a threat to the coconut industry . PCA field personnel

continue to monitor scale insect incidences for immediate treatment and provide technical

assistance to affected farmers

Last Sunday, March 16 in an interview over DZMM, the overall manager of PCA, CSI

control Program assures the public that PCA IN partnership with PCAR DOST IS DOING ITS

BEST TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION.

Non Government Initiatives on CSI

� As early as January 2010 a few UPLB Alumni headed by Capt Mannie Baradas

appealed for support from PCA and Sec Alcala for the CSI problem building up in

Tanauan Batangas

� May 2011, the UPLB Volunteers for CSI was formalized and became an advocacy

group to create awareness and monitored the spread of the insect from Tanauan

to other towns of Batangas and limited parts of Luzon. Also work briefly with PCA

in a project funded by CIIF to mitigate the Tanauan devastation.

� the UPLB VCSI CONTINUED THE ADVOCACY….and some members started to do

personal week end researches and while Mr Baradas continue to travel and

monitor the spread of the pest all on his own cost

� CA Adalla, continued to tests some plant extracts against insect pest of

vegetables as part of her USAID funded IPM project extended the test to CSI, with

most of the test and the formulation work done by friends funded by personal

funds. Sent Samples of test insect to US for ID validation in May 2013

� After 2 years, CB Adalla, I material was found really promising with 50 to 75%

efficacy in both greenhouse and limited field test

� January 2014, DOST Reg IVa thru Director Alex Madrigal funded a pilot testing of

the material in macapuno farms of LAES and PhilHybrid

… on the Identification of CSI

Aspidiotus rigidus Reyne (Hemiptera: Diaspdidiae), a devastating pest of coconut in the

Philippines. Gillian W. Watson*, Candida B. Adalla‡, B. Merle Shepard† and Gerald R. Carner●

*Plant Pest Diagnostic Center, California Department of Agriculture, 3294 Meadowview Road,

Sacramento, CA 95832, U.S.A.,

‡Crop Protection Cluster, University of the Philippines, Los

Banos College, Laguna 4031, Philippines,

† Clemson University, Coastal Research and

Education Center, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414, U.S.A.,

● School of

Agricultural, Forest, and Environmental Sciences, E249 Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson

University, Clemson, SC 29634, U.S.A.

Correspondence: Gillian W. Watson; Tel.: +01 916 262 1155; Fax: +01 916 262 1140; e-mail:

gillian.watson@cdfa.ca.gov

Dr. C.J. Hodgson,Department of Biodiversity and Biological Systematics,The

National Museum of Wales,Cathay's Park,Cardiff,CF10 3NP, UK

Reviewed by:

Relevant Information on A rigidus

• true place of origin is not known, but recorded several outbreaks in Indonesia. Recorded in Java for sometime but never developed into outbreak proportion

• the specific parasitoid is Comperiella inifasciata from Japan

• Telsimia nitida and Chilocorus nigritus attacks A destructor but not A rigidus

• Coconut and mangosteen are the only known and reported host plant so far

The DOST Region 4a Funded Pilot Project

for Macapuno Affected Trees

• an oil extracted from a local legume tree formulated in saponified Coconut oil and use as 3 % spray applied 3 times at weekly interval

• 3 weekly applications, followed by foliar fertilization and a botanical fungicide against Fusarium

• the latest formulation, an improved Botanical spray with 10g inert material that enhance the toxicity and applied only once with 85 to 95% control

The Results of the Pilot Tests…

Basic Information about the Project Sites

A. Lipa Agricultural Experiment Station (LAES)

� about 100 trees, all fruit bearing, with moderate infestation of coconut scale insects

� Sprayed with recommended rate of Cochin oil + Joy dishwashing liquid day before we

visited and engaged the farm for the study, We engaged the farm because the scale

insects are still alive despite the sprays

� after 2 days when we returned to collect pre-treatment samples and apply our first

treatment spray, we found moderate phytotoxicity as indicated a subsequent picture

� WE proceeded but noting the level of phtotoxicity and counts of live CSI as benchmark

� Botanical spray applied 2x and the combination treatment of Botanical + inert substance.

� as of today (last spraying last Friday March 14), we are confident that we controlled the

scale insects. The challenge is untill when…. This is why we need a biological control to

sustain to maintain the low population

� part of the technology is to apply foliar fertilizer or basal high N fertiilzer during wet

season.

� the prune, treat, fertilize and rehabilitate thru sustainable interventions was partly

implemented and showing good level of success in terms of CSI reduction.

The DA LAES (Lipa Agricultural Experiment Station) Macapuno Farm

LAES Before 1st Treatment

Dwarf sample no 89

3.5x 2x

LAES Dwarf No 77 (2X) 1- after 1st Spraying

2- after the 2nd Spraying

3- after the 3rd Spraying

1 2

3

March 7 no 66 (LAES) sprayed with Scalicide Plus ( 97 % mortality)

March 7 Sample no. No 116 (PhilHybrid Farm) 98 % mortality

The PhilHybrid Macapuno Farm in Sta Teresita, Sto Tomas

Batangas

• 10 hectare farm of tall macapuno variety and a seedling

nursery of about 2,000 seedlings

• has varied stages 3 to 5 years pre bearing and 2/3 are

bearing stage with heavy infestation of coconut scale

insect (stage 3). The farm is surrounded by equally

infested tress

• the plants are also under water stress

• Also used Cochin Oil, prior to our set up and manifested

similar phytotoxicity damage

• Had very high CSI infestation despite cochin oil treatment

PhilHybrid Macapuno(tall variety) Nursery

The Mitra Macapuno Farm in Sta

Teresita, Sto Tomas Batangas

Before treatment

After 1st Treatment After 2nd treatment

Close up of leaf

samples

Before and

after treatment

Status of CSI infestation at PhilHybrid Farm

…. around the PhilHybrid Farm

…. On the way to the sites equally devastated

…. way forward

• PCA needs to revisit the efficacy of cochin oil they are using for massive spraying re: phytotoxicity and impact to CSI population reduction

• intensify search for effective natural enemy and conduct of feeding test before mass production.. Revisit the impact of C nigrita and melas currently being mass produce by PCA and RCPC

• WE NEED TO DO URGENT and MASSIVE population control followed by natural enemy based management. We have the products be it botanical or synthetic pesticide, I hope this is the last consultation meeting and we redo our strategies

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