Field evaluation of attract and kill technology (Hook RPW™) to control red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in coconut plantations of Goa, India

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is an important crop in peninsular India, where the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a key pest. Mass trapping of adult weevils using food baited pheromone traps (FBPTs) is widely used in RPW-IPM programmes. RPW originated in South Asia where it is a major pest of coconut, Cocus nucifera. Frequent servicing (change of food bait and insecticide solution) of RPW- FBPTs becomes cumbersome and costly, especially at a higher trap density. We field tested trap and bait free attract and kill (A&K) technology by using Hook-RPW™ in RPW infested coconut plantations of Goa, India. Two FBPTs were located at 100 m distance on either side in the experimental plot with 50 coconut palms to record the weekly weevil captures. Pre and post-treatment weevil captures were recorded at weekly intervals for 17 weeks each. Further, in the post-treatment phase 50% palms were directly treated with two- 3 g dollops/palm of Hook-RPW™, while for the remaining palms, two dollops were placed individually at the bottom of 4-window 5 L buckets (containers) to record proof of RPW adults being attracted and killed. A Significant (p = 0.05) T-statistic value was registered for weevil captures in FBPTs before and after treatment. Post-treatment results are significant, as a 50% mean reduction in FBPTs was observed in weevil captures. Proof of kill studies indicated that the A&K dollops were effective for the entire 17 weeks after deploying Hook-RPW™ in the field. In plantations where weevil activity is high and conventional traps have to be deployed at a density of > 1 trap/ha, the A&K technique against RPW can eliminate adult RPW population in the field cost-effectively and efficiently. This approach is environmentally friendly, as the insecticide is applied to a small, localized area, explicitly targeting the pest with minimal risk to non-target organisms. The Hook RPW™ technology shows promise as part of a broader IPM strategy for managing RPW infestations in coconut plantations, with minimal risk of damage to healthy trees.