OBSERVATIONS ON PHEROMONE-BAITED MASS TRAPPING FOR CONTROL OF COCOA POD BORER, CONOPOMORPHA-CRAMERELLA, IN SABAH, EAST MALAYSIA

A 200 ha field trial to control the cocoa pod borer (CPB), Conopomorpha cramerella, using synthetic pheromone-baited mass trapping at a maximum density of 16 traps ha-1 was conducted in Sabah, East Malaysia. During the first two weeks of the trial, trap catches declined in the mass-trapped area from 4.18 moths per trap (3242 total) to < 0.5 moths per trap (400 total) per night. This is interpreted as trapping out most of the available male moth population. Damage to the harvested cocoa pods in the mass-trapped area decreased steadily during the first 52 weeks of the trial, in contrast to the untreated areas, in which damage levels either remained constant or reduced slightly. From week 52 until the end of the trial, pod damage levels generally continued to fall in the mass-trapped area. However, damage in the untreated areas also fell, possibly owing to the introduction of estate-wide (2800 ha) mass trapping and other cultural control measures. It is concluded that control of CPB by pheromone-baited mass trapping may reduce pod damage levels and may prove to be cost effective at an annual operating cost of 35 Pound ha-1.