RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 34 (4) December 2022, p. 622-628

Strategus aloeus (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE) DAMAGE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH RAINFALL AND HYBRID OIL PALM AGE IN COLOMBIA

LUIS GUILLERMO MONTES-BAZURTO1*; ALEX ENRIQUE BUSTILLO-PARDEY1 and ANUAR MORALES RODRIGUEZ1

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2022.0009
Received: 26 May 2021   Accepted: 22 November 2021   Published Online: 31 January 2022
ABSTRACT

The adults of Strategus aloeus (L.) feed on the bulb and cause damage to young oil palm that can lead to lesions, and ultimately, to rotting. The aim of this study was to determine the S. aloeus damage in young hybrid oil palms, to propose an alternative method for its monitoring and control. Initially, destructive samplings of the palms were made at 8, 10, 12 and 15 days after insect attack. Additionally, weekly insect attack monitoring and rainfall register were made. About 44.4% of the oil palms were damaged after eight days of the adult’s infestation. During the first year of the crop’s establishment, there was a positive correlation between the number of galleries and rainfall. During the second and third year, there was a negative correlation between the number of galleries and oil palm age (ρ=−0.93; p<0.0001; n=105). Our study found that the damage caused by S. aloeus in hybrid cultivars can be observed eight days after the adult´s arrival. The monitoring and control of S. aloeus in hybrid cultivars should be performed on a weekly basis from establishment to the first three and a half years of the crop.

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1Colombian Oil Palm Research Centre, Cenipalma,
Palmar La Vizcaína Experimental Field, KM 132 Vía Puerto
Araujo-La Lizama, Barrancabermeja, Santander, Colombia.

* Corresponding author e-mail: lgmontesb@unal.edu.co