and Integrated Pest Management - part - usaid

IPM ACTIVITIES IN COCONUT IN SOUTHEAST
ASIA
R. Kaske
Deutsche Gcsellschaft far Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) Gmbh
D-6236 Eschborn, P.O. Box 5180
Fcdcral Republic of Gcmany
Coconut palms contribute considerably to the food basket of many people in
tropical regions, and also to the world production of vegetable oil. The
Philippines, Indonesia, India, and the Pacific Island countries are the four largest
coconut producers of the world.
Statistics on coconut production are difficult to obtain. One of the reasons
is that none of the international agricultural research institutions considers the
coconut palm to be within its mandate. However, recet publications (PCA
1979) indicate the following figures and the importance of this crop in Southeast
Asia and the Pacific:
Country Size of country Area under coconuts
Philippines
Indonesia
India
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Malaysia
Papua New Guinea
South Pacific Islands
Seychelles
(sq. kin)
300,000
1,450,963
3,183,643
65,610
514,000
332,633
222,998
67,555
376
(ha)
2,800,000
2,300,000
1,082,900
485,000
439,000
335,897
250,000
327,388
7,500
6,137,778 8,027,685
The majority of the coconut palm growers throughout Southeast Asia and
the Pacific are small farmers. Intercropping is quite common and secures a
stabilize(] income for smallholders in times of depressed prices for copra and
other palm products. It is known that various insects, diseases, rodents, and
weeds are causal agents of losscs in coconut production.
Since the 1950s, when effective insecticides and other chemicals became
available, much attention has been paid to chemical insect control. The height
of' the coconut paln canopy, however, is a hindrance to spraying or dusting
operations. Moreover, cost factors and the standard of technical development in
the coconut-growing countries and at the individual farm level greatly limit the
possibility of using power-spraying and (ItIsting equipment. Finally. we must
appreciate ihat the regular use of chemicals may have undesirable environmental
and ecological impact within highly sensitive ecosystems.