By Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY – Scale insect (Aspidiotus Destructor Signoret), a soft-bodied 5mm long
fluid-feeding insect is invading the coconut plants and other palm and fruit
trees in the city posing threat to farmers’ livelihood and the coconut
industry.
Rudy B. Corsame, officer-in-charge
of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Isabela City revealed that as of
July 15, 2013, some 15 barangays have been affected by the pests.
Hardest hit was Barangay Lanote with
some 2,519 coconut trees affected, followed by Maligue, Cabunbata and
Lumbang.
PCA data showed that the 15
barangays have a total of 702,956 coconut trees and 5,975 of these were infested
with the scale insect. The data also showed that the pest also attacks some
1,170 ornamental plants, 382 lanzones trees, and 21 trees of mango.
PCA fears that more trees are
affected, as 11 other barangays, namely, Calvario, Tabiawan, Panunsulan, Begang,
Busay, Binuangan, Sumagdang, Kumalarang, Kapayawan, Balatanay, and Makiri are
affected.
The Regional Development Council in
Region IX (RDC) also got alarmed at the infestation, knowing the magnitude of
damage it caused to the coconut farmers of Batangas.
Regional Director Noemi B. Edaga of
the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-9 disclosed that the RDC had come up
with a resolution asking the agency to help conduct a massive information
campaign about this pest.
During the regional technical
briefing conducted recently in Zamboanga City to PIA personnel by PCA and the
Department of Agriculture (DA), Edaga explained that “a massive information
drive requires some budget which the agency has no funds for the purpose.” Thus,
she asked the PCA to fund the campaign. The PCA agreed to “study the matter.”
Moreover, PCA-IX has also presented
its plans to address the situation. At its level, PCA field offices have
already started to alert the coconut farmers about the infestation, especially
in Isabela City and made initial documentation on the extent of the infestation
in the region.
PCA-Isabela City had also gathered
the barangay chairpersons and selected kagawads of the 15 barangays affected by
the pest last Aug. 1 to formulate plans to address the problem and control the
spread of infestation to other barangays and neighboring cities and provinces
in the region. The barangay officials have decided to conduct awareness drive
in every affected barangay.
Corsame said the insect is not a new
pest specie attacking coconuts in the Philippines. He pointed out that there
are many reasons why an outbreak of coconut scale insect occurred, and one of
them is bad agricultural practices such as overuse or misuse of pesticides, particularly
on the vegetables and fruit trees planted under coconut plants. “Pesticides
also kill natural enemies and without them, insect pests are free to multiply
without control,” he stressed.
“Although coconut is the preferred host of scale insects, it
is also known to attack other perennial species including many species of fruit
trees, such as avocado, breadfruit, mango, mangosteen, guava and papaya.
(PIA9)