Exciting news from our training farm Santa Rita Speciality Coffee. Among other things, we are experimenting with organic countermeasures against Broca. Recently, our local partner and agronomist Roberto Castellano explained the following method to us:
An effective measure against Broca is a product called Biomix, a combination of two different fungi that have the potential to parasitize Broca (Hypothenemus hampei). The two fungi are called Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium. During application, every plant and every fruit is treated. The process of infecting the borer takes place in three phases.
1. Contact of the spores with the insect's outer shell and germination
2. Penetration of the insect's outer shell
3. Development of the fungus inside the insect, which ultimately leads to death.
Beauveria bassiana is used in various areas of organic farming as an organic insecticide. The fungus is excellently suited for combatting all kinds of arthropods. Beauveria bassiana is non-toxic to farm workers and has little impact on non-target insects (1).
This method can also be successfully applied to cherries that have fallen to the ground. Keep in mind: the coffee borer prefers to attack ripe and overripe cherries.
