# Validation of a Sustainable Pest Management Program to Control Coffee Berry Borer

## TL;DR

This study shows that using sustainable methods like biological control and monitoring can effectively manage coffee berry borer, reduce chemical use, and increase farmer profits.

## Contribution

The study validates a sustainable pest management program combining biological agents and cultural practices for coffee berry borer control.

## Key findings

- Sustainable pest management reduced field infestation from 3.3% to 1.7%, below the 2% action threshold.
- Prorops nasuta reduced CBB life stages by 32.1%, and P. coffea achieved up to 70% parasitism.
- The program increased net income by 26% and had an MRR of 18.06, showing economic benefits.

## Abstract

The coffee berry borer (CBB) is the most destructive pest for coffee crops worldwide, reducing their yield and quality. Traditionally, some larger coffee farmers have relied on chemical insecticides to control this pest, and even under an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy, these can harm the environment and affect human health. This study tested a sustainable pest management program for CBB control at La Catalina coffee farm in Colombia, replacing chemical sprays with good agricultural practices, careful pest monitoring, and a combination of biological control agents. We used a beneficial fungus, Beauveria bassiana, and two types of parasitoid wasps, Prorops nasuta and Phymastichus coffea. Along with timely harvesting, we removed leftover coffee cherries from the plants and soil, and we prevented the pest from spreading during processing. These actions kept pest levels low throughout this study, even during El Niño weather conditions, which strongly favor outbreaks. This approach also increased the farmer’s income by reducing the need for expensive chemicals and additional labor, allowing for a higher coffee price due to its superior quality. This research shows that it is possible to protect coffee crops effectively without using synthetic insecticides while also protecting the environment, improving product quality, lowering production costs, and ensuring better economic returns for coffee growers.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a sustainable pest management program for controlling the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, at La Catalina coffee farm (Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia) and compare it with the historical conventional control approach (2012–2022), a period during which the management of CBB was based primarily on the application of synthetic chemical insecticides. The working hypothesis was that integrating biological control agents (Phymastichus coffea, Prorops nasuta, and Beauveria bassiana) with cultural and monitoring practices would significantly reduce infestation levels and insecticide dependence while maintaining or improving economic profitability. From 2023 to 2024, GIS-based hotspot mapping, targeted parasitoid release, and fungal application triggered when infestation thresholds were reached were incorporated into sustainable pest management. Infestation, flight activity, and parasitism rates were monitored, and climatic variables were analyzed to determine their relationships with pest dynamics. The results showed that a sustainable pest management program reduced field infestation from a historical average of 3.3 ± 0.15% to 1.7 ± 0.2%, remaining below the 2% action threshold (F-test, p < 0.05). Prorops nasuta reduced the number of CBB life stages by 32.1%, falling from 10.9 ± 0.3 individuals per berry in non-parasitized fruits to 7.0 ± 0.7 in parasitized berries, while parasitism by P. coffea peaked at 70%. CBB flight activity decreased markedly compared to historical averages. The shift from a chemical approach to sustainable pest management resulted in a 26% increase in net income per hectare and a Marginal Rate of Return (MRR) of 18.06. Overall, the results confirm that a sustainable pest management program effectively suppresses CBB populations, minimizes pesticide use, and enhances the economic and environmental sustainability of coffee production systems.