COMPARATIVE BIO-EFFICACY OF INSECTICIDES AGAINST SHOT-HOLE BORER, XYLOSANDRUS COMPACTUS EICHHOFF (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE) INFESTING ROBUSTA COFFEE.

The Shot-hole borer (SHB), Xylosandrus compactus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) is one of the serious pests of coffee with a higher infestation in robusta coffee than arabica. This study includes both laboratory and field experiments to assess the efficacy of five different insecticides for the control of SHB. In the laboratory, insecticides were evaluated at two different doses and the insecticide concentrations that generated the highest mortality percentage were subsequently tested in the field. Such, insecticides were sprayed on the SHB infested twigs in the field and the efficacy was assessed by percentage mortality on insect stages. The highest percent adult mortality at tunnel entry hole (92 %) was recorded for Chlorpyrifos 20 EC @ 3 ml/l and Chlorpyrifos 50 EC + Cypermethrin 5 EC @ 1.2 ml/l followed by Emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 0.4 g/l (71%), Thiacloprid 21.7 SC @ 1 ml/l (70%) and Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 1 ml/l (64%). The study revealed that Chlorpyrifos 20 EC and Chlorpyrifos 50 EC + Cypermethrin 5 EC combination insecticides were effective in killing SHB adults at the entrance hole and these insecticides could be integrated as an IPM component in the management of SHB in the young robusta coffee plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]