Conducted by VSU
, Started on 2023 -
Completed on 2025
Completed
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Coconut is the third largest agricultural crop in the Philippines and the major product of Eastern Visayas with its
649.030 ha of farming area (PSA, 2018; Ani and Aquino 2016). With the rising demand for coco, interventions have
been applied to improve production. Hybrids have been the focus of current efforts due to its high production
capability (300-400x more nuts). Hybrids, however, just like any other variety, are not exempt from pest attack with
varying susceptibilities. Therefore, it is imperative to provide data on pest incidence, severity, and control agents to
maximize its potential. However, limited data is available on which varieties are more prone to attack by APW and
other pests. In addition, the use of more eco-friendly control measures which are easy to adapt, accessible, and
provide long-term effects, has long been encouraged. These include the use of natural enemies, entomopathogenic
microbials, and biorationals to kill or manage various life stages of the pests, even at lower populations, while
providing long term control. So far, GMF, earwigs, and parasitoids have shown success locally while biorationals
provide for a more accessible and environment-friendly option in other Asian countries. However, endemic natural
enemies and microbial strains have not been thoroughly categorized in terms of virulence and pathogenicity.
Potential of biorationals also lacks exploration for control. This proposal, thus, aims to study the susceptibility of
hybrids and their parentals to APW and selected important pests lacking studies and the potential of various local
microbials, natural enemies, and biorationals against these target pests.