Advances in the evaluation of coffee populations with fewer stages of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei, Ferrari) Avances en la evaluación de poblaciones de café con menor número de estados de la broca del café (Hypothenemus hampei, Ferrari)

Initially, the genetic improvement of coffee focused on the selection of high yield and good-quality varieties, but the appearance and subsequent spread of diseases such as coffee rust (Hemileia vastatrix Berk. & Br) favored the development of resistant varieties. In the case of pest insects such as coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei, F), the first studies searching for resistance sources showed that all species of the genus Coffea are infested in different proportions. Thus, in the Colombian Coffee Collection, Ethiopian introductions of Coffea arabica and Coffea liberica with fewer stages of this insect were identified; these accessions are being used as male progenitors for the development of a coffee variety that reduces the number of individuals per generation, decreases the population growth and keeps this beetle below the levels of economic damage, at a low cost. This is an economically viable and easily adopted strategy that contributes to increasing the efficiency of the integrated management of this pest. The evaluation of the F2 population of Castillo® variety lines by three Ethiopian introductions demonstrated antibiosis in 68 plants due to the reduction of reproduction, confirming that this characteristic is inherited to the next generations. Additionally, it was determined that the percentage of CBB states of the F2 plants in relation to the susceptible controls presents a normal distribution, which is a typical segregation of a quantitative character where several genes are involved. Populations will be advanced until a variety tolerant to this pest with desirable agronomic characteristics is obtained.