(Original text)
In recent years, coconut infestations have (Summary)
grown rampant, and today, traces of the coconut
leaf beetle (Brontispa longissima) are still
evident, including wide-scale plantations and
lone coconut trees. This suggests an urgency in
the field applications of potential solutions to
control B. longissima populations. This research
investigated the effectiveness of Beauveria
bassiana (B. bassiana) fungus treatment ratios as
a biocontrol option against B. longissima, which
poses a significant threat to coconut trees. The
study evaluated the effects of different
treatment ratios of B. bassiana conidial solution,
specifically the 1:1 and 1:2 ratios which were
applied to B. longissima. Results showed a
significant difference in mortality rates between
treatment ratios and the control group in both
adult and larva stages. Kruskal-Wallis tests for
mortality rates revealed p-values less than 0.05,
rejecting the null hypothesis and confirming that
treatment ratios yielded significantly higher
mortality rates and infection rates than
untreated groups. No significant difference was
found between the infection rates of 1:1 and 1:2
ratios but exhibited significantly higher infection
rates compared to the control group. The
Median Survival Time (MST) obtained from the
Kaplan-Meier survival analysis further supported
the effectiveness of B. bassiana treatment ratios,
with the 1:1 ratio proving most effective for adult
beetles, while the 1:2 ratio was optimal for
larvae. These findings provided substantial
evidence on the treatments’ potential in
sustainable pest control, offering a promising
solution to mitigate the threats posed by the B.
longissima to young coconut trees.
Gomez and Vergara's (2024) award-winning
paper, “Treatment Ratios of Beauveria bassiana
Fungus Against Coconut Leaf Beetle (Brontispa
longissima): In-Vitro Evaluation of Mycosis for
Biocontrol,” presented at the National Science and
Technology Fair (NSTF) and the International Science
and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in April 2024 and May
2024, respectively, explores biocontrol measures for
coconut infestations, particularly leaf beetles. Their
research addresses the growing issue of coconut
infestations by investigating the effectiveness of
different ratios of Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana)
conidial solutions. Specifically, the study compared
1:1 and 1:2 treatment ratios applied to B. longissima,
and the results demonstrated that these treatment
ratios significantly increased mortality and infection
rates compared to untreated groups. Using Kruskal-
Wallis tests, they determined that both treatment ratios
resulted in significantly higher mortality rates, with p-
values less than 0.05. Although no significant
difference was found between the 1:1 and 1:2 ratios,
both were significantly more effective than the
control. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis
revealed that the 1:1 ratio was most optimal for adult
beetles, while the 1:2 ratio was ideal for larvae. With
these findings, it indicates the potential of B. bassiana
treatments in sustainable pest control for young
coconut trees.
Keywords: Coconut tree protection
Pest control
Coconut infestations
Coconut leaf beetle
Brontispa longissima
Wide-scale coconut plantations
Lone coconut trees
Beauveria bassiana fungus
Fungal treatment ratios
Effectiveness of Beauveria bassiana fungus
treatment ratios
Mortality rates
Kruskal-Wallis test
p-values
Median Survival Time (MST)
Kaplan-Meier survival analysis
Adult beetles
Larvae
Sustainable pest control
Coconut tree protection

Reducing crop losses due to insects is

becoming an increasingly difficult task for global
food production. Many older, less expensive
chemical pesticides have been eliminated due to
concerns about their impact on human health, the
environment, and the food chain. New technologies,
such as more expensive, more selective pesticides
and genetic modification, are being deployed, but
the enhanced selection pressure hastens the
evolution of insect pest resistance. The global
farming industry desperately requires more
environmentally friendly pest management
solutions. (Gomez & Vergara 2024) in their studies,
considered Beauveria bassiana as a biocontrol
agent against insect pests like the coconut beetle B.
longissima through direct penetration of their
exoskeleton. In relation to the laboratory tests
done and the specific research topics dealt with,
the study's findings revealed various information
and conclusions about the three parameters
studied: mortality rates, infection rates, and MST.