Report of mission in the Ende district (Flores Island, Nusa Tenggara Timur Province, Indonesia) from 17th to 20th July and 23rd July 2001

Symptoms affecting the coconut palms in Ende area are the consequence of attack by an insect pest: Aspidiotus destructor Signoret (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), which is a scale insect (in Indonesian language: kutu perisai). Damages are exceptionally strong leading to the death of the attacked coconut palms. Outbreak started in December 1999 and up to now, 39% of coconut palms in Ende district are affected. A proposal for controlling the pest consists of sanitation + insecticide to reduce the pest population followed by a mass release of predator Scymnus severini to keep the Aspidiotus population at a low, non-damaging level. The parasite laboratory at Ndona is preparing the mass production of Scymnus, but is still at the initial stage. Besides of the immediate problem of Aspidiotus, other questions can be addressed to improve the living standard of coconut farmers in the Ende district in the long term: - Replantation of old coconut groves using sustainable coconut-based cropping systems and introducing new cultural practices. - Improvement of coconut products marketing and diversification of uses of coconut palm, to increase the local added-value from coconut crop. (Résumé d'auteur