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Project Title: Pesticide Management of

Brontispa longissima in Coconut

Project Leader: Leonila M. Varca

Study Leader: Lorenzo E. Fabro
Implementing Agency: National Crop Protection
Center, Crop Protection Cluster,
College of Agriculture, University
of the Philippines Los Baños
Cooperating Agency: Philippine Coconut Authority
Funding Agency: PCARRD, DOST
Project Duration: January 21, 2008 – October 20, 2008
Budget: PhP 559,537.00

Brontispa longissima
• One of the most
damaging pests of
coconut and other
palms
• Adults and larvae
feed on soft tissue of
the youngest leaf in
the throat of the palm.

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• Affected leaves turn

brown, resulting to
stunting of palm,
reduced nut
production and
eventually death of
the trees

Chemical control is practiced as part of CLB

control program of the government.
Trunk injection and spraying of insecticides are
implemented by PCA to fastrack the mitigation of
infestation and spread of the pest and allow recovery
of damaged trees.

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Concerns with chemical control

- Spray application to tall trees pose risk to applicator.
- Health concerns to workers, animals and to the
environment.
- Trunk injection may affect quality of the coconut
products.
- Insecticides recommended by PCA for trunk injection
are not registered for use in coconut with the FPA.
- No local residue data available.

Objectives of the project

- To evaluate selected systemic insecticides against
Brontispa longissima.
- To determine effective rates of application of
selected systemic insecticides to Brontispa.
- To assess the effects of stem injection of the
insecticides to beneficial insects.
- To determine the residues of these insecticides to
coconut fruits.
- To come up with good agricultural practices (GAP)
recommendations as control measures against
Brontispa.

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Insecticides evaluated for trunk injection

Common Brand Recommend Twice the
Name Name ed Rate Recommend
ed Rate

Thiametoxan Actara 1 gram 2 gram/tree

25 WG product/tree

Thiametoxn Alika 1.5 mL 3 mL/tree

+ L- 247 Zc product/tree
cyhalothrin

Clothianidin Danto 1 gram 2 gram/tree

p 16 product/tree
WSC
Imidachlopri Solom 1.65 mL 3 mL/tree
d + B- on product/tree
cyfluthrin

Study 1. Evaluation of the effectiveness of

selected systemic insecticides for the control
of Brontispa longissima.

• Insecticides evaluated were effective against

Brontispa longissima adult and larvae at the
dosage applied. A second application is
suggested after 30 days to sustain control of the
pest.
• These insecticides did not affect the population
of the common earwig, Chelisoches morio, a
natural enemy of the coconut leaf beetle.
• Chemical control can be complemented with
other pest management strategies for effective
management of the pest.

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Study 2. Assessment of pesticide residues in

coconut from trunk injection of systemic
insecticides
• Coconut water was analyzed for residues of the
trunk injected insecticides at 1,3,7,15 and 60
days after trunk injection.
• Thiametoxam was not detected below 0.06
ug/ml;Imidachloprid below 0.065 ug/ml;
Clothianidin below 0.06 ug/ml; Lambda-
cyhalotrin below 0.009 ug/ml ; B-cyfluthrin below
0.07 ug/ml at 1day to 60 days after treatment

• Coconut milk was analyzed for residues of the

trunk injected insecticides at 1,3,7,15 and 60
days after trunk injection.
• Thiametoxam was not detected below 0.02
ug/g;Imidachloprid below 0.55 ug/g; Clothianidin
below 0.35 ug/g; Lambda-cyhalotrin below 0.39
ug/g ; B-cyfluthrin below 0.11 ug/g at 1day to 60
days after treatment

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Processing of treated nuts to virgin coconut oil

and coconut oil reduced the concentration of
thiametoxam by 98% and 100%,
Concentration of imidachloprid by 96.5% and
91% respectively.

Dietary Risk Assessment of Residues of

Trunk- injected Insecticides

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Theoretical Maximum Daily

Intake
• First estimate of pesticide residue intake
applying CODEX MRLs or proposed MRL
• Calculated by multiplying the established
or proposed MRL by the estimated daily
regional consumption of the food
commodity
• Compared to the ADI of the pesticide
calculated for a 60 kg person and
expressed as % of the ADI

Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)

Daily intake of the chemical which
during the entire lifetime appears to be
without appreciable risk to the health of
the consumer on the basis of all known
facts at time of evaluation.

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Average daily consumption of Filipinos for

coconut and derived products = 10 g/day

Reference: Phil Nutrition Facts and Figures (2001)

FNRI, DOST

Pesticides Concentratio TMDI mg/kg ADi mg/kg Remarks

n mg/kg bw
Thiametoxam 0.06 0.00001 0.02 0.05% of ADI
Imidachloprid 0.55 0.000092 0.06 0.18 % of ADI
Chlothianidin 0.35 0.000058 0.097 0.06 % of ADI
L- cyhalothrin 0.39 0.000065 0.002 3.25 % of ADI
B- cyfluthrin 0.11 0.000018 0.02 0.09 % of ADI

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• Trunk injection of systemic insecticides will not

affect the quality of the coconut with respect to
pesticide residues.
• Treated nuts can be harvested within the week
after treatment of the trees. TMDI did not exceed
the ADI
• Processing of the nuts to virgin coconut oil and
coconut oil will reduce concentration of
thiametoxam and imidachloprid.