Integrated Management of Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari) in Coffee Plantations of Alluri Sitarama Raju District, Andhra Pradesh
Abstract
The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is one of the most destructive insect pests of coffee worldwide. The pest damages coffee berries by boring through the fruit and developing within the coffee bean, where larvae and adults feed on the endosperm. Because most of its developmental stages remain concealed inside the berry, effective management depends strongly on preventive sanitation, timely monitoring, trapping, and interventions directed against adults before they penetrate the bean. The pest was first reported in India in 1990 and subsequently became established in the major coffee-growing regions of southern India (Kumar et al., 1990). In 2025, H. hampei was reported for the first time in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district of Andhra Pradesh, creating an important phytosanitary concern for the region's coffee-based farming systems. Current Coffee Board recommendations emphasize clean and complete harvesting, collection and destruction of leftover berries and gleanings, installation of Broca traps, drying of coffee to prescribed moisture levels, and application of Beauveria bassiana at the initial stage of infestation. The present article summarizes the biology, symptoms, damage, monitoring and integrated management of coffee berry borer, with particular emphasis on sustainable and environmentally compatible management strategies suitable for the coffee-growing areas of Andhra Pradesh.
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Introduction
Coffee is an important plantation crop in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and provides an important source of livelihood for tribal farming communities in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. The coffee-growing landscape of the district is characterized by smallholder and tribal production systems, often under mixed shade conditions. The ecological conditions of the Eastern Ghats are favourable for coffee production but can also support the development and persistence of several insect pests.
The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari, is regarded as one of the most economically important insect pests of coffee worldwide. The pest is particularly difficult to manage because the female beetle enters the coffee berry and subsequently develops inside the bean. Consequently, conventional contact insecticide applications have limited effectiveness after the insect has penetrated deeply into the berry (Johnson et al., 2020; Moreno-Ramirez et al., 2024).
In India, coffee berry borer was first reported from Gudalur in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, in 1990 and subsequently spread to the principal coffee-growing regions of southern India (Kumar et al., 1990). The pest was subsequently detected in Alluri Sitarama Raju district in 2025, representing the first confirmed occurrence reported from Andhra Pradesh. Field reports during September 2025 documented infestation in coffee plantations in the Araku region and subsequently at the Horticultural Research Station, Chintapalli, highlighting the importance of rapid surveillance and containment measures in the district.
The Coffee Board of India currently recommends an integrated approach involving sanitation, complete harvesting, removal of leftover berries and gleanings, Broca trapping, proper drying, and timely application of biological control agents such as Beauveria bassiana (Coffee Board of India, n.d.).
Novelty and Contribution of this Review: While coffee berry borer is among the most extensively studied coffee pests globally, with comprehensive reviews available (e.g., Johnson et al., 2020; Moreno-Ramirez et al., 2024), most syntheses focus on global or Latin American contexts. This review makes three specific contributions. First, it documents and contextualizes the first confirmed occurrence of H. hampei in Alluri Sitarama Raju district, Andhra Pradesh, in 2025—a new phytosanitary record of regional and national significance. Second, it synthesizes the biology, damage, and integrated management options specifically for the tribal, smallholder, mixed-shade coffee systems of the Eastern Ghats, a context under-represented in the international literature. Third, it proposes a district-level surveillance and containment strategy tailored to ASR district, with practical actions for growers, the Coffee Board, the Department of Horticulture, and research institutions. By distinguishing between established recommendations and locally proposed pathways, the review aims to support rapid, evidence-informed decision-making in a newly affected region.
Conclusion
Coffee berry borer is a serious threat to coffee production because it directly damages the coffee bean and remains concealed inside the berry for most of its developmental period. Its recent occurrence in Alluri Sitarama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh necessitates continuous surveillance and rapid implementation of integrated management measures. The most practical strategy for the region is based on clean and complete harvesting, removal of gleanings and leftover berries, destruction of infested material, installation and monitoring of Broca traps, timely application of Beauveria bassiana, proper post-harvest drying and strict prevention of pest movement through infested coffee and contaminated materials.
For sustainable management in the tribal coffee ecosystems of ASR district, emphasis should be placed on early detection, community-level sanitation and biological control rather than dependence on repeated insecticide applications. Continued collaboration among growers, Coffee Board personnel, research institutions and extension agencies will be essential for preventing further spread and protecting the productivity and quality of Andhra Pradesh coffee.
Limitations of the Review: This is a narrative review based on Coffee Board advisories, the supplied baseline article, and selected peer-reviewed literature. A formal systematic search was not employed, and the evidence base for some management recommendations—particularly trap densities, optimal B. bassiana application conditions, and chemical options—is context-dependent and evolving. Longitudinal data on the newly reported ASR district infestation are limited. The recommendations presented here should therefore be adapted to local conditions and confirmed against the latest Coffee Board/Department of Horticulture advisories.
Future Research Directions: Priority research should include: (1) district-level surveillance and mapping of CBB incidence and spread; (2) field evaluation of B. bassiana formulations under Eastern Ghats conditions; (3) assessment of optimal trap densities and monitoring protocols; (4) evaluation of locally available biological control agents, including parasitoids; (5) quantification of yield and quality losses in ASR district coffee; and (6) integration of IPM with organic and tribal coffee production systems.
References
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