Biotechnological Perspectives

Coffee is one of the important plantation crops that is grown worldwide. India is one of the major coffee growing countries where around 0.35 million hectares of coffee is under cultivation, producing an annual average of 285, 000 metric tones of coffee and earns around 400 million US $ as foreign exchange. Among the various diseases threatening coffee, the coffee berry borer possesses a major threat to coffee production world over. This pest, which spreads very rapidly, was unknown in India till 1990 and has now spread to an approximate area of 1, 20, 000 ha accounting to 40% of the total coffee area of the country. The insect is now present in an estimated area of 40,000 hectares in Karnataka, i. e., 15% of total coffee producing area in India. At present, the area infested by coffee berry borer in Kodagu is estimated to be more than 15, 500 ha, causing 15-20% loss in total crop production. The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is an important pest world over and is difficult to control by any means because much of its life cycle occurs deep inside the berry. Manual control is laborious and expensive.

Autorentext

Dr. N. Haraprasad is an Academician and researcher with 16 years of experience. His research interests includes,Biocontrol, Bioactives,medical biotechnology and toxicogenomics. His contribution to development of mycopesticides for management of insect pests in coffee has been received well by the farming community across India.