Field-based Evidence of the Black Coffee Twig Borer infesting Maesopsis eminii in Coffee Agro-systems in Kiboga District, Uganda

Abstract

Despite Ugandan coffee farmers’ preference for Maesopsis eminii as a shade tree, the species is an alternate host for the black coffee twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff)—a major insect pest of coffee in the country. Wilting and drying of leaves and branches of young M. eminii trees (<5 m tall) observed in Kiboga District, Uganda. The branches were trimmed off the trees, separated into primary and secondary branches and then the percentage of those possessing characteristic X. compactus entry holes determined separately. Additionally, the number of entry holes on both primary and secondly branches was established to determine the extent of damage of X. compactus. X. compactus characteristic holes were observed on both primary and secondary branches of M. eminii - percentage of branches having entry holes and the number of entry holes higher on primary than secondary branches. Dissecting the branches at the entry holes revealed various life stages of X.compactus in the gallery, proving that the damage was due to the pest. Presence of this pest on trees that are inter-planted in the coffee agroforestry systems presents a dilemma in managing it. Therefore, research should be geared towards designing management strategies for the pest in the coffee agroforestry systems. In the meantime, farmers should always trim-off and burn all infested parts from coffee and other plants inter-planted in it.

Commodity risk assessment of bonsai plants from China consisting of Pinus parviflora grafted on Pinus thunbergii

“…Xylosandrus compactus is a serious pest of coffee in Hawaii (Greco and Wright, 2015), in India (Muthappa and Venkatasubbaiah, 1981;Ramesh, 1987) and in Uganda (Kagezi et al, 2014). It also caused economic damage to cacao in Uganda (Kagezi et al, 2014), tea in Japan (Kaneko et al, 1965), chestnut in China (Yan et al, 2001) and many other crops (EPPO, 2020).…”

“…Xylosandrus compactus is a serious pest of coffee in Hawaii (Greco and Wright, 2015), in India (Muthappa and Venkatasubbaiah, 1981;Ramesh, 1987) and in Uganda (Kagezi et al, 2014). It also caused economic damage to cacao in Uganda (Kagezi et al, 2014), tea in Japan (Kaneko et al, 1965), chestnut in China (Yan et al, 2001) and many other crops (EPPO, 2020). In Italy the pest severely affected Ceratonia siliqua, Laurus nobilis, Pistacia lentiscus, Quercus ilex, Ruscus aculeatus and Viburnum tinus (Garonna et al, 2012;Vannini et al, 2017;Gugliuzzo et al, 2020), Tilia platyphyllos (Faccoli, 2021) and occasionally found also on Cupressus sempervirens (Servizio Fitosanitario Regione Lazio, 2014).…”

Commodity risk assessment of Acer palmatum plants grafted on Acer davidii from China

“…Xylosandrus compactus is a serious pest of coffee tree in Hawaii (Greco and Wright, 2015), in India (Muthappa and Venkatasubbaiah, 1981;Ramesh, 1987) and in Uganda (Kagezi et al, 2014). It also caused economic damage to cacao tree in Uganda (Kagezi et al, 2014), tea in Japan (Kaneko et al, 1965), chestnut in China (Yan et al, 2001) and many other crops (EPPO, 2020).…”

“…Xylosandrus compactus is a serious pest of coffee tree in Hawaii (Greco and Wright, 2015), in India (Muthappa and Venkatasubbaiah, 1981;Ramesh, 1987) and in Uganda (Kagezi et al, 2014). It also caused economic damage to cacao tree in Uganda (Kagezi et al, 2014), tea in Japan (Kaneko et al, 1965), chestnut in China (Yan et al, 2001) and many other crops (EPPO, 2020). In Italy the pest severely affected Ceratonia siliqua, Laurus nobilis, Pistacia lentiscus, Quercus ilex, Ruscus aculeatus and Viburnum tinus (Garonna et al, 2012;Vannini et al, 2017;Gugliuzzo et al, 2020), Tilia platyphyllos (Faccoli, 2021) and was occasionally found also on Cupressus sempervirens (Servizio Fitosanitario Regione Lazio, 2014).…”

An accurate, efficient, and economical identification technology for black twig borer based on species-specific cytochrome C oxidase subunit I PCR assay

“…(Hara et al 1979, Bhat et al 1988, Oliveira et al 2008, Garonna et al 2012, Pennacchio et al 2012, Vannini et al 2017, Josep et al 2021, Urvois et al 2021). From an economic perspective, Kagezi et al (2013) estimated that 40.3% of Robusta coffee trees per farm were infested by X. compactus in Uganda in the year 2012, resulting in an annual foreign exchange loss of US$40 million based on the market prices and production volumes of that year.…”