While the control methods for cicada larvae recommended by agricultural authorities had not proven effective, a farmer in Zone 8 of Di Linh town (Lâm Đồng province) successfully tested the use of Nitốc 30 EC pesticide to kill the larvae.
By mid-September, cicadas had appeared and were damaging coffee plants across most of the Central Highlands, including 2,085 hectares in Lâm Đồng and about 1,000 hectares in Đắk Lắk.
The cicada larvae attack the root system, causing yellowing leaves and premature fruit drop. In Lâm Đồng, the worst-affected areas include Tân Châu, Hòa Bắc, Hòa Ninh, and Đinh Trang Hòa communes (Di Linh district).
Out of the 2,085 hectares infested (at a density of 13–50 larvae per plant), around 580 hectares have already suffered severe damage. The larvae not only weaken the coffee plants’ growth but also create favorable conditions for other diseases such as coffee leaf rust and branch dieback.
Farmer Đặng Văn Sỉu reports that he successfully used Nitốc 30 EC to kill the larvae. He mixed 1 liter of the pesticide with 100 liters of water and sprayed each sào* of coffee plants. The solution can be sprayed directly on the larvae or after clearing the soil mounds around the coffee roots. About an hour after application, the larvae crawled to the surface and died.
* One sào is a traditional Vietnamese unit of area, roughly 360 m² (varies slightly by region).