Assessing the joint effects of landscape, farm features and crop management practices on berry damage in coffee plantations

Abstract

Evaluates the joint effects of crop management on plot level, farm characteristics, and landscape structure at different spatial scales on CBB infestation in 50 Costa Rican coffee farms. In five plants of each farm, the maximum number of berries infested during the fruiting period is estimated. It measures three separate groups of variables related to parcel management practices, farm characteristics, and landscape structure. Evaluate their individual and joint contributions, their relative importance and the effects of these variables on the number of infested berries, using the variance partitioning approach of the RandomForest algorithm. The results suggest that to develop a pest management strategy at the local scale, it is important to consider the effect of local changes and landscape factors that affect the abundance of pests. The integrated CBB management plan should consider influences at multiple spatial scales, and coordinated action among farmers sharing the same landscape would be beneficial.