|Title||Infestation by Coffee White Stem Borer, Xylotrechus quadripes, in Relation to Soil and Plant Nutrient Content and Associated Quality Aspects|
|Author(s)||Thapa, Sushil; Lantinga, Egbert A.|
|Source||Southwestern Entomologist 41 (2016)2. - ISSN 0147-1724 - p. 331 - 336.|
Farming Systems Ecology
|Publication type||Refereed Article in a scientific journal|
Infestation by coffee white stem borer, Xylotrechus quadripes Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is becoming severe in parts of Asia and Africa. In recent years, the pest has also been found in North and South America. This study in Gulmi District, Nepal, aimed to determine the severity of infestation by coffee white stem borer in relation to soil and plant nutrient content and associated quality aspects. Eighty plantations of coffee, Coffea arabica L., were inspected, 68 coffee growers were interviewed, and 120 soil and plant samples were analyzed. During the interviews, 72% respondents claimed coffee white stem borer was a major hurdle to production of coffee. Depending on the amount of damage, annual yield loss in infested plantations was as much as 60%. Based on principal component analysis (PCA), plants growing with more soil nitrogen, pH, and organic matter were healthier than plants with less. Results suggested that soil attributes are crucial for management of coffee white stem borer.