War on the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle in Solomon Islands by Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Limited (GPPOL) through an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach

Solomon Islands is currently experiencing a major agriculture threat to its productive palm industries due to the recent invasion of a new population of coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB), a devastating pest of coconut and oil palms. Invasion of the CRB-G variant (clade I haplotype) in 2015 was first detected in Honiara. It rapidly spread eastwards towards GPPOL, a leading RSPO certified palm oil exporter (and major employer) in Solomon Islands. By 2016 it had reached both commercial and small holder plantations, leading to devastating palm damage (including death) for both coconut and oil palm producers. The aim of this presentation is to provide a case study from the Solomon Islands highlighting GPPOL’s (ultimately) successful management efforts in responding to the invasive CRB-G pest populations. The financial losses due to significantly reduced yields were compounded by the enormous costs incurred while attempting to manage this invasive pest. This was achieved with the assistance of several national and international collaborators, including: Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Pacific Community, Papua New Guinea Oil Palm Research Association, and AgResearch (New Zealand). Over 7 years (2016-2023), GPPOL has developed an integrated pest management strategy for plantations that currently incorporates two management streams as part of a response plan for controlling CRB. Currently these involve: Physical/Cultural control measures (insect trapping for monitoring, sanitation programs to sites of larval development through the use of palm trunk chipping and disc-harrowing), and Chemical Control applications (targeted spraying of young palms with and targeted trunk injection of mature palms). A third stream involving Biological Control is currently under development with lab and field testing of new isolates of viral and fungal (including native species) candidates for use as future biocontrol agents. Results obtained to date will be discussed within the context of the New Zealand Aid Programme that is supporting improved long-term sustainable CRB management solutions for the Pacific region.