Evaluation of Beauveria bassiana for the control of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) in robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) in Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua

Abstract

The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is one of the most important pests affecting coffee production worldwide, causing significant losses in yield and grain quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana as an alternative for controlling the coffee berry borer in robusta coffee (Coffea canephora), in comparison with a chemical control and an untreated control treatment. The experiment was established under a completely randomized design with three treatments and six replicates per treatment. The variables evaluated were coffee berry borer incidence, damage severity, and effectiveness of Beauveria bassiana, with measurements taken every ten days throughout the study period. The results indicated that before the application of treatments there were no significant differences in the incidence of the pest, with low infestation levels recorded in all treatments. During the evaluation period, a progressive increase in pest incidence was observed, with the highest values occurring in the untreated control. At the end of the study, the treatments with Beauveria bassiana and chemical control showed similar incidence levels close to 5%, whereas the untreated control reached values above 9%. The effectiveness of Beauveria bassiana was 27.22% parasitism of the coffee berry borer. In terms of projected yield, the treatments with pest control showed lower production losses compared to the control, highlighting the importance of implementing management strategies to reduce the impact of this pest. It is concluded that Beauveria bassiana represents a viable alternative for the management of the coffee berry borer, as it allows pest incidence to be maintained below the economic damage threshold while providing environmental advantages over chemical insecticides, thus contributing to the development of more sustainable coffee production systems.