Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a major tropical cash crop in Indonesia, but yields are constrained by the cocoa pod borer (Conopomorpha cramerella), which can cause 30–50 percent losses. Conventional pyrethroid use often leads to resistance and harms non-target organisms; therefore, eco-friendly alternatives that preserve natural enemies are urgently needed. The study objectives were to evaluate oil-based botanical insecticides from Reutealis trisperma (candlenut) and Cerbera manghas (bintaro) for cocoa pod borer control and for impacts on non-target ants (Formicidae). METHODS: Field trials were conducted in South Sulawesi using a randomized complete block design (eight treatments × four replicates). Treatments included Reutealis trisperma and Cerbera manghas oil formulations (5 and 10 milliliters), a combined plant extract, lambda-cyhalothrin (1 milliliter), and untreated control. Applications were made with a knapsack sprayer every 15 days for six cycles. Thirty healthy pods per sampled tree were tagged and monitored for infestation, damage severity, and yield loss, which was estimated using a published regression model. Non-target monitoring focused on Formicidae; visual counts were recorded at each sampling and classified using an ordinal scale (+ = 1–10; ++ = 11–20; +++ = 21–30 ants per tree). Infestation, yield, and egg-laying suppression were analyzed by analysis of variance and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at α = 0.05, while Formicidae data were summarized descriptively due to low field densities. FINDINGS: Botanical oil treatments significantly reduced cocoa pod borer infestation compared with the control (p < 0.05), decreasing from 35–72 percent initially to 0–10 percent by the fifth application; lambda-cyhalothrin showed no advantage (39–46 percent). Yield loss remained low in botanical treatments (0.00–0.98 percent) compared with 11.71 percent in the synthetic treatment, and egg-laying suppression reached 90–100 percent. Formicidae abundance remained in the low (+) category across botanical treatments, whereas the control averaged ++. No consistent treatment-related declines in ant abundance were observed. Phytotoxicity was minor and temporary. CONCLUSION: R. trisperma and C. manghas oil formulations are effective in suppressing cocoa pod borer and in conserving ants natural enemies under the conditions tested. These botanical insecticides therefore provide a viable, environmentally safer component of integrated pest management for sustainable cocoa production, with potential to reduce reliance on persistent synthetic pesticides when integrated with improved formulation and extension support.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Botanical oils significantly reduced cocoa pod borer infestation relative to control, from 35–72 percent initially to 0–10 percent.
- Taxon
- cocoa
Theobroma cacaoe0 - Treatment
- Botanical oil treatmentse0
- Interactor
- cocoa pod borer
_1412164.jpg?width=60)
Conopomorpha cramerellae0pest - Outcome
- cocoa pod borer infestatione0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 0–10 percente0
- Comparator
- the controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_1412164.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Botanical oil treatments significantly reduced cocoa pod borer infestation compared with the control (p < 0.05), decreasing from 35–72 percent initially to 0–10 percent by the fifth application”
Claim · model-written summary
Lambda-cyhalothrin showed no advantage over botanical oils in infestation control.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaot0
- Treatment
- lambda-cyhalothrine0
- Interactor
- cocoa pod borerConopomorpha cramerellae2pest
- Outcome
- no advantagee0
- Direction
- no advantagee0
- Value
- 39–46 percente0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“lambda-cyhalothrin showed no advantage (39–46 percent)”
t0“for cocoa”
e2“cocoa pod borer (Conopomorpha cramerella)”
Claim · model-written summary
Botanical treatment yield loss was 0.00–0.98 percent versus 11.71 percent with synthetic treatment.
- Taxon
- CocoaTheobroma cacaot0
- Treatment
- botanical treatmentse0
- Outcome
- Yield losse0
- Direction
- lowe0
- Value
- 0.00–0.98 percente0
- Qualifier
- 11.71 percente0
- Comparator
- the synthetic treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Yield loss remained low in botanical treatments (0.00–0.98 percent) compared with 11.71 percent in the synthetic treatment”
t0“cocoa”
Claim · model-written summary
Egg-laying suppression reached 90–100 percent with botanical treatments.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaot0
- Treatment
- botanical treatmentse1
- Interactor
- cocoa pod borerConopomorpha cramerellae2pest
- Outcome
- egg-laying suppressione0
- Value
- 90–100 percente0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“egg-laying suppression reached 90–100 percent”
e1“Yield loss remained low in botanical treatments”
t0“for cocoa”
e2“cocoa pod borer (Conopomorpha cramerella)”
Claim · model-written summary
Formicidae abundance remained in the low (+) category under botanical treatments, versus ++ in control.
- Taxon
- CocoaTheobroma cacaot0
- Treatment
- botanical treatmentse0
- Interactor
- FormicidaeFormicidaee0other
- Outcome
- Formicidae abundancee0
- Direction
- lowe0
- Comparator
- the controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Formicidae abundance remained in the low (+) category across botanical treatments, whereas the control averaged ++”
t0“cocoa”
Claim · model-written summary
No consistent treatment-related declines in ant abundance were observed.
- Taxon
- CocoaTheobroma cacaot0
- Interactor
- ante0other
- Outcome
- ant abundancee0
- Direction
- No consistent treatment-related declinese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“No consistent treatment-related declines in ant abundance were observed”
t0“cocoa”
Claim · model-written summary
Phytotoxicity was minor and temporary.
- Taxon
- CocoaTheobroma cacaot0
- Outcome
- Phytotoxicitye0
- Qualifier
- minor and temporarye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Phytotoxicity was minor and temporary”
t0“cocoa”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend botanical oils as a component of cocoa integrated pest management.
- Taxon
- cocoaTheobroma cacaoe0
- Outcome
- component of integrated pest management for sustainable cocoa productione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These botanical insecticides therefore provide a viable, environmentally safer component of integrated pest management for sustainable cocoa production”
The same questions in other papers
lambda-cyhalothrin · Conopomorpha cramerella · Theobroma cacao (cocoa)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- positive
botanical · Conopomorpha cramerella · Theobroma cacao (cocoa)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.