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Dumaguete City, PhilippinesMonday, April 2, 2012
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FROM BAYAWAN TO GUIHULNGAN:
Coconut infestation
spreading – PCA

The “brontispa” coconut leaf beetle infestation is spreading to other areas, from Bayawan City, and has already affected 22,000 coconut trees in Negros Oriental, Brendan Trasmonte, Philippine Coconut Authority development manager, said recently.

“Brontispa longissima” has been monitored to be spreading, particularly from Bayawan, to the towns of Basay, Siaton, and Guihulngan City, Trasmonte added.

Brontispa feeds on young leaves and damages seedlings and mature coconut palms. The insect belongs to Coleoptera and Chrysomelidae family, like a number of beetle species.

The PCA assured that treatment is being done on affected coconut trees, like spraying with “karate” chemicals, pruning, as well as cut-and-burn to contain the spread of the pests.

Farmers in affected areas have also been trained to develop and use biological control, parasitoids, organisms or typical parasites that prevent the proliferation of the beetle, Trasmonte said.

The Bayawan government also started culturing parasitoids to help eliminate the Brontispa problem.

Meanwhile, Trasmonte said that Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong (Neg. Or., 1st District) has allocated P5 million in support of PCA’s coconut planting and replanting program.

Local government units in the First District will put up its coconut nursery in June in time for the rainy season, he added.

The First District has 32,839 hectares planted to 2,413,854 bearing coconut and 870,469 non-bearing trees; the Second District has about 29,677 hectares of land with 2,968,137 coco bearing and non-bearing fruits; while the Third District has 3,026,807 coconut trees in 30,266 hectares of land.*PIA

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