The battle against the bug

I never expected that my series on CSI a.k.a Coconut Scale Insect would generate so much interest, but people are apparently very concerned about losing their buko pie, and are quite annoyed that the quest for answers has resembled the game “Agawan Buko.”

I did not stop researching, interviewing and visiting people and places to learn how to fight or stop the CSI. I noticed while driving through the SLEX – STAR tollway interconnector road, that most of the coconut trees were already reddish brown. Stores that used to prominently advertise buko pie now post signs saying “cassava cake” as their primary product. I also discovered that one of the biggest problems responders have is that many farms and landowners don’t want to act, spend or pay the cost of chemicals and labor to combat the problem. This according to agriculturists is what lends substance to the phrase “The coconut is the lazy man’s fruit.” In one particular case, a businessman actually demanded that the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Coconut Authority shoulder and supervise the control and rehabilitation of several hectares of coconut trees!

When our backyard farm got hit, I was referred by an agri-show host to Mr. Jun Catan of Mapecon who sent me the necessary two-part chemicals in plain unlabeled white bottles, which, I assume is intended to hide his secret formula. As I wrote before the overall cost of chemicals and labor would end up at P400 per tree. To be sure I asked the people doing the spraying to radically prune all but the uninfected leaves after which we did the spraying. Twelve hours later I saw proof that the concoction was certainly lethal as we gathered all sorts of insects both “good” and “bad.” I simply justified the process by quoting: “Desperate times require desperate measures.” Except for the proof of kill, I really have no other basis for rating the solution, but I would classify it as the equivalent of dropping a “nuclear bomb.”

I also learned later that the radical pruning was radically dangerous because it could compromise the stability of the coconut to energize and feed itself while undergoing treatment.

Since then I have made contact with the chairman and representatives of the Philippine Coconut Authority, The Crop Protection Association of the Philippines, the representative of Leads Agri products, the marketing director of Chemrez technologies, Biostadt, and a few others. What I’ve learned is that government actually works, is trying to get things done, BUT has to do better at marketing, promotions and public relations. I also learned that the coconut industry is one of the few areas where private sector corporations are actually supportive and complimentary of efforts and personnel of government. During my separate talks with Jojo Alejar of Leads Agri and Dean “Jun” Lao of Chemrez, both of them defended and expressed support for the Philippine Coconut Authority and related government agencies such as the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.

They explained that the delay in coming up with an appropriate solution was a matter of procedure. On one hand the “plague” as in all cases grow in a compounding manner, faster than research and procedure can manage. But once a solution is found, application becomes the easiest part of the process except when farm owners refuse to act because they really want to convert the land or shift to another product.

An equally helpful individual was Marc Espiritu of Biostadt who gave me a short course on why fertilizers have become necessary in farm settings as a result of unnatural production quotas or harvests or poor maintenance. When I mentioned blackened leaves all around my farm, Marc explained that hobby farmers like me identify the “effects” of infestation as the problem, but don’t realize that what causes those “effects” are what pests have left behind. Since then we have followed a regimen of controlled spraying and wash down a few days later.

Upon the insistence of Jojo Alejar and my college friend Joel Paredes, I actually drove out to Alaminos, Laguna to visit the PCA facility where spray tests were being conducted and where several varieties of coconuts were being grown. Upon arrival we immediately got into the demonstration spraying of products such as “Starkle,” an insecticide from Leads that was mixed with a plant/foliar fertilizer such as Mega Booster or Wokozim. Then they mixed “CropGuard” with the same foliar fertilizers. The reason for mixing the insecticide and the fertilizer is to do a two-in-one spray at once.

Later on I met one of the most pro-active people I’ve ever met at the DA/PCA, Erlene Concibido-Manohar who immediately interviewed me about how I treated the CSI in our place. Referring to my previous articles, Erlene explained that “salt” is the cheapest available fertilizer that fits budgets, is the easiest to apply and does not require technical knowhow. But commercial fertilizers are certainly more superior and easily dispersed and absorbed. As far as the CSI problem is concerned the PCA is mandated to discover, develop various potential solutions as well as help test and determine commercial products such as insecticides now used for mango and other fruits that have manifested small-scale infestation of similar insects.  

Erlene also explained that in several instances, the reason why the Philippine Coconut Authority has recommended replanting is because many trees particularly in the Batangas areas are reaching their unproductive age limit and heights that make them difficult to harvest. While many gatherers find using climbing spikes very convenient, this method makes deep punctures into the tree, ultimately compromising the health of the trees and making them susceptible to insect attack. While in Alaminos, I saw the dwarf aromatic varieties that grow no taller than 10 feet and bear lots of sweet coconuts. The last time I tried to get this variety I had to send the coconut seedlings by plane. So as a backup plan we’re setting up to replant the next generation and hopefully turn the curse into a blessing.

I must mention at this point that for all I’ve heard about PCA Chairman Forbes who is “tubong” Quezon, he typifies the straightforward simplicity of people from Quezon, an open attitude to learning, sharing and cooperation to get things done. For now, anyone concerned enough about the problem will have to decide on their own and, like myself, experiment. Until a real solution is presented, the solution is what you decide to do.