From Climate to Crop Management: Unraveling Coffee Berry Borer Infestation in Indonesia

The coffee berry borer (CBB) is the main pest of Coffea arabica, causing major yield and quality losses worldwide. In Indonesia, climate, altitude, and farm management influence pest dynamics, but region-specific patterns remain unclear. We studied 40 Arabica farms in West Java (tropical monsoonal) and North Sumatra (equatorial) for 1 year to assess how climate, altitude, berry availability, and CBB management affect infestation. Monthly monitoring of 1,200 trees recorded infestation and berry load, complemented by CHIRPS climatic data. Generalized linear mixed models assessed regional differences, and longitudinal mixed models examined the temporal effects of altitude, management, shade-tree richness, and berry load. Infestation and berry production were higher in North Sumatra (18.8%) than West Java (11.6%), where infestation peaked at low berry availability and declined with altitude, whereas stable warm temperatures and continuous berry availability supported year-round populations in North Sumatra. Management practices, mainly sanitation harvesting and trap use, reduced infestation in both regions, with the stronger effects in West Java. These results highlight the multifactorial drivers of CBB infestation and the need for adaptive, region-specific management.