The summer showers received across the coffee growing zones indicate good crop prospects for the year 2009-10.

Harvest is complete and in many estates gleanings and left over fruits are yet to be removed. The left over fruits, gleanings and off-season fruits will harbour the berry borer till the new crop develops and is ready to be infested. Hence, to manage the berry borer all efforts should be taken to reduce the quantum of gleanings, left over fruits and off-season fruits. There is still time to attend to these operations and can be continued up to the on-set of the monsoon rains.

Since most of the gleanings and left over fruits would be almost completely damaged at this time, collection of the gleanings would be a waste of time and money. Hence, it is advisable to make trenches or pits in the field, sweep all the gleanings and mulch and bury them under a layer of soil so that the gleanings are not available to the berry borer to take shelter and thrive till the next crop is ready to take infestation. This would save time and labour.

The “Broca” or berry borer traps can be installed now in small numbers, 10 to 15 per acre to monitor the catch of beetles. These traps can be left in the field for 5 or 6 days and then shifted to another block. If the berry borer trapping is more in any block it would indicate that such blocks are still having more gleanings and left over fruits. The flight of the berry borer generally takes place in the evening hours and it would be good to visit the traps set up in the field to observe the activity. Traps installed in a particular field should be monitored once in two or three days to assess the beetle catch. The traps installed should be serviced regularly so that the water in the reservoir (bottom half of the trap unit) is clean and the lure is not exhausted.

If meticulous care is not taken to remove the leftover fruits and gleanings, it can aggravate the berry borer infestation on the next season’s crop and cause heavy damage.

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH