The Economic Consequences Of Insect Defoliation Of Pines In East Africa

Abstract

This paper recognizes the need for some reliable guide on the profitability or otherwise of applying control measures against defoliators in the pine plantations of E. Africa. In the absence of reliable Local data on the losses caused by defoliators the assumption is made that one complete defoliation represents a loss of 50 per cent in growth increment of the tree. On the basis of this assumption and using locally accepted value for stands of various ages, of impacts of defoliators in terms of financial loss is ca1culaited and the profitability or otherwise of control measures indicated for the normal rotation of P. radiata and P. patuia.