Towards the Development of an Integrated Pest Management
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MARDI Res.l. 17(1)(1989): 55-68 Towards the developmentof an integrated pest managementsystem of Helopeltis in Malaysia [. Azhar* Key words: Helopeltis,Integrated Pest Management (IPM), cultural control, chemical control, biological control, ants, early warning system Abstrak Helopeltisialah perosakkoko yangpenting di Malaysia.Oleh itu pengurusannyasangatlah penting untuk mendapatkanhasil koko yang menguntungkan.Memandangkan koko ialah tanamanbaru di Malaysia penyelidikandalam pengurtsan Helopeltis masih berkurangan. Kebanyakan pendekatanpengurusan perosak ini berpandukanpengalaman di Afrika Barat, keranabanyak penyelidikan telah dijalankandi negaratersebut. Namun demikian,cara pengurusannyamasih berasaskan kimia, yang menjadipendekatan utama dalam pengurusan Helopeltis di Malaysia. Perkembangankawalan kimia dibincangkan. Perkara-perkarautama dalam pengawalan biologi dan kultur juga dibincangkan.Kecetekan kefahaman terhadap prinsip-prinsip yang merangkumikaedah kawalan tersebut menyebabkan kaedah ini jarang digunakandalam pengurusan Helopeltis. Namun demikian,peranan utama semutdalam mengurangkanserangan Helopeltis, terutamanya dalam ekosistemkoko dan kelapapatut diambil kira dalam menggubalsistem pengurusanperosak bersepadu (PPB) untuk Helopeltistidak kira samaada untuk kawasanpekebun kecil ataupunladang besar. Sebagaimatlamat utama untuk mengurangkanpenggunaan racun kimia, pengawasanpopulasi Helopeltis dan kefahamanterhadap ekologinya telah menjadipenting dalam pelaksanaan PPB. Penggunaansistem amaran awal adalahsalah satu carauntuk mencapaimatlamat PPB dan seterusnya mempertingkatkanhasil koko. Abstract Helopeltisis a major insectpest of cocoain Malaysia.Hence its management is of prime importanceto ensureprofitable yield. Cocoais a relativelynew crop in Malaysiaand researchon the managementof Helopeltisis relatively scanty.As such,management approaches are largelybased on West African experienceswhere considerable research has been carried out. However,this managementapproach is largelybased on chemicals,which remainthe first line of defencein existingHelopeltis management strategies in Malaysia.The developmentof chemical control of Helopeltis is discussed. The salientfeatures of biologicaland culturalcontrol are alsoexamined. A lack of understandingof the principlesinvolved has resulted in minor use *Cocoa and CoconutResearch Division, MARDI Hilir Perak,P.O. Box 25,36307Sungai Sumun, Malaysia Presentaddress: MARDI, CocoaResearch Station, P.O. Box 324,91007Tawau, Malaysia Author's full name:Azhar Ismail @MalaysianAgricultural Research and DevelopmentInstitute 1989 55 Developmentof IPM systemof Helopeltis of them in Helopeltis management. Nevertheless, the significant role of ants in limiting Helopeltis attack, especially under the cocoa and coconut ecosystem, is worth considering in the development of an integrated pest management (IPM) system regardlessof the size of cocoa areas. With the ultimate aim of reducing chemical usage monitoring of the Helopeltis populations and the understanding of -their ecology have become important in the implementation of IPM. The use of an early warning system is one of the means by which the objectives of IPM may be achieved with subsequentimprovement in cocoa yield. Introduction (Giesberger 1983) and H. bakeri Popp. Mirids are serious pests of cocoa. They and H. collaris Stal. in the Philippines are widespread throughout the cocoa (Entwistle 1972). growing areasof the world, and about 40 The biology of H. theobromae has speciesin the subfamily Bryocorinae (the been describedby Miller (1941),Tan tribe Monaloniini and Odoniellini) are $97aa) and Azhar (1986). No detailed known to attack cocoa (Entwistle 1972). biological studies on H. clavifer are The tribe Monaloniini is the most known but a description of the life history widespread with the genus Monalonion of P. apiformls was given by Pang (1981). exclusivelyfeeding on cocoa in the Mirids are polyphagous,and H. neotropics. The speciesof Helopeltis are theobromae,in addition to cocoa, also more important in the Old World cocoa attack sevenalternate host plants (Ahmad growing areas.Attacks by members of and Ho 1980). Smith (1978) reported 25 Odoniellini occur mainly in the Ethiopian alternate hosts of H. clavifer in Papua region, Sabah and Papua New Guinea. New Guinea but no report of alternate Sahlbergellasingularis (Hagl.) and hosts for P. apiformis has been recorded. Distantiella theobroma (Dist.) constitute Damage is primarily due to the the two most damaging speciesof this feeding of adults and nymphs on green tribe and are distributed mainly in West pods and young shoots or unhardened African cocoa areas(Entwistle 1972). stems. Platyngomiroides apiformn also In Peninsular Malaysia, Helopeltis attacks the chupon and fan branches as theobromaeMill. continuesto be the well (Conway 1971;Pang 1981). Feeding greatest concern of cocoa growers. It was by thesemirids resultsin the development first reported attacking cocoa at the of circular lesionson pods and lenticular Federal Agriculture Experiment Station, lesionson unhardened stems. Attacks on Serdangin 1939 (Miller 1941). On the young cherellesmay lead to cherelle wilt other hand, H. clavifer (Walk.) and and complete loss of the crop may result if Platyngomiriodes apiformls Ghauri are the infestation is severe. Infestation by the two important mirid speciesin Sabah these mirids may also lead to subsequent with the former first discovered in 1957 attack by fungal pathogens. Correct crop and the latter in 1962(Conway 1971;Pang loss assessmentattributable to Helopeltis 1981).However, mirid problems in Sabah has never been reported in Malaysia are currently of secondary importance perhaps because of the confounding with the discovery of the cocoa pod borer, nature of contributory factors. However, Conopomorpha cramerella (Snell.), in a 257o decrease in yield due to mirid late 1980. Other mirid speciespresent in infestations was reported in Ghana this region are H. antonii Sign. and FI. (Stapley and Hammond 1959). theivorqWaterh. in Indonesia 56 I. Azhar The recognition of the effect of mirid emulsion, nicotine sulfate, and tar and infestation on cocoa in Malaysia has led to petroleum distillate were tried with partial the institution of various control measures success(Entwistle 1966). The subsequent against this pest soon after they were use of DDT. after World War II, by discovered attacking cocoa (Miller l94l; painting branch unions or jorquettes and Conway 1971).Since mirids are more other mirids restingplaces provided better important in PeninsularMalaysia than in control (Collingwood 1971).The use of Sabah, this review will emphasizethe HCH evolved after the chemical was managementof H. theobromae,although proved to be more successfulthan DDT in reference to other mirid specieswill also controlling cocoa mirids (Stapley and be made where appropriate. Hammond 1959).The effectivenessof Various management approaches to HCH was attributed to its fumigative Helopeltis have been described and effect (Raw 1959). Since then, the use of reviewed by a number of authors (see this insecticidehas become widespread e.g., Miller 1941;Conway 1971;'Tan throughout the West African cocoa l9'l4b; Mainstone 1978; Azhar and growing areasas well as other parts of the Jamaludin 1981;Azhar 1984,1985, 1986). world (Entwistle 1972; Omole and Ojo However, chemicalcontrol was and still is 1981). However, the widespread use of the most widely adopted approach by this chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide many cocoagrowers. The extensiveuse of againstcocoa mirids has resulted in the chemicalsfor the managementof localized development of resistantstrains Helopeltis is due to several reasons. (Dunn 1963; Entwistle 1964). The Among them are quick action, easily phenomenon of insecticideresistance has availableand implemented and inefficient necessitatedcontinuous screeningof natural control factors (Azhar 1985). In insecticidesfor control of cocoa mirids in this review, it is therefore appropriate to West Africa (Prins 1965;Laryea 1967; lead the discussionwith chemical control Johnson eI al. 1970; Collingwood and followed by other control measures and Marchart 1971; Marchart 1971a,1971b; eventually a discussionof the Nwana et al. 1979; Omole and Ojo 1981; implementation of an Integrated Pest Owusu-Manu 1985). Management (IPM) programme. The first attempt to control Helopeltis was probably in Sri Lanka in 1907where Chemical control the sprayingof sulfur and Macdonaghue's Cocoa planting in Malaysia which began mixture proved a failure (Entwistle 1966). in the early sixties,is relatively new when In Java, early attempts of insecticidal compared to West Africa. Research on control of cocoa mirids were made using the management of Helopelrls is relatively the natural insecticide,derris and lead scanty and many of the chemicals used arsenate,but with little success were adopted from trial results in West (Giesberger1983). DDT was later used to Africa. control Helopeltis in Java (Entwistle 1972). The earliest report on the use of Historical view insecticidesin PeninsularMalaysia to In West Africa, numerous control control H. theobromrzewas made by measureswith specialemphasis on Miller (1941). He demonstratedthat chemicals were tried against the cocoa dusting with pyrethrum-lime at weekly mirids sincewhen they were recognizedas intervals was effective in controlling the pestsin 1910(Dundgeon 1910;Nichol and pest. Lever (1949) found that three Taylor 1954). Spraying of trees with dustingsof 0.5Vo DDT applied every 10