Question

The pest which can be managed by minimizing field gleanings is?

• A. Pepper Pollu beetle
• B. Coffee berry borer
• C. Coconut eriophyid mite
• D. Cardamom capsule borer

Hint:

Collecting and destroying fallen berries (field gleaning) is the most critical cultural control practice used to disrupt the inter-harvest survival of the coffee berry borer.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Cultural control practices, such as field sanitation, help manage insect pests by disrupting their life cycles or removing food sources and breeding sites.
Field gleanings refer to leftover crop debris, fallen fruits, or unharvested berries left in the field after harvest.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is a highly destructive pest of coffee crops worldwide.
The adult female beetle bores into coffee berries to feed and lay eggs.
During and after harvest, many infested berries fall to the ground or are left unpicked on the plants (gleanings).
These residual berries provide shelter and a breeding source for the borer population during the inter-harvest period.
Minimizing field gleanings by systematically collecting and destroying all fallen and left-over berries on the ground (gleaning collection) is a critical cultural control practice.
This practice breaks the pest's breeding cycle, significantly reducing the starting pest population for the next crop season.
While sanitation is beneficial for other pests, minimizing field gleanings is a primary and highly specific recommendation for managing the coffee berry borer.

Step 3: Final Answer
The correct option is (B).