Search Results (2)

Some Pseudococcidae species interact with Coffea arabica’s roots and are associated with basidiomycete fungi. The fungal mycelium envelops the roots, which hinders their water and nutrient absorption. Combined with the feeding activity of the insects, this results in chlorosis, defoliation, and even plant death. Despite the significance of these interactions, they remain under-studied. To investigate the relationship between sporocarps found at the base of coffee trees, the cysts covering their roots, and the mealybug insects within them, samples of these three organisms—sporocarps, cysts, and mealybugs—were collected from 27 coffee plants across three farms in the departments of Norte de Santander and Quindío, Colombia. Fungi and cysts were identified by sequencing a nuclear gene region of the 28S large ribosomal subunit (28S rDNA) using the primers LSU200-F and LSU481-R. Fungal identification was further confirmed through classical taxonomy. Mealybugs were identified by sequencing a region of the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) with CIF-CIR primers, corroborated through classical taxonomy. This study identified four fungal species associated with four species of Pseudococcidae. The fungus Phlebopus beniensis was associated with the mealybugs Pseudococcus elisae, Dysmicoccus neobrevipes, D. brevipes, and Pseudococcus nr. sociabilis. Phlebopus portentosus was linked to D. neobrevipes, while Xerophorus olivascens and Boletinellus rompelii were associated with other Pseudococcidae species. Additionally, the fungus Pseudolaccaria pachyphylla was found in coffee plants harboring mealybugs. These findings confirm the existence of specific associations between fungal species and mealybug insects that affect coffee plants. Full article

Coffee is a worldwide commodity, and both coffee-producing and coffee-consuming countries have real concerns about environmental problems and economic growth strategies based on the efficient use of resources. Because this crop is a perennial, pests can significantly affect coffee production, causing considerable yield losses and threatening coffee supply and security. The presence of insects and control strategies for coffee pests is becoming a challenge. Environmental sustainability, conservation of biodiversity, and safety of the coffee seed must go hand in hand with the economic sustainability of coffee growers. This is especially important, as there has been an increase in demand for coffee and new consumer interest in differentiated quality coffee. Regular pest control methods based only on the use of synthetic pesticides are no longer effective or sustainable due to the development of insecticide resistance and negative effects on the environment, human health, and biodiversity. Thus, to ensure better control and ecological sustainability, it is crucial to reduce pesticide use by adopting original alternative strategies to maintain pest populations below the economic threshold level and towards reaching the European Green Deal. In this review, we collect information available for sustainable control of the principal coffee pests in Colombia: coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei; Monalonion velezangeli; coffee root mealybugs; coffee leaf miner: Leucoptera coffeella; and the coffee red spider mite: Oligonychus yothersi. The control strategies include deep knowledge of the biology of insects and the coffee plant, their relationship with weather and habitats, as well as natural controllers. These control strategies do not involve the use of insecticides, are ecologically friendly and novel, and can be applied in other coffee-producing countries. Full article