Act this week

Rhinoceros beetle damage in oil palm: signs and what to do

What it looks like

V-shaped or fan-shaped cuts on opened fronds, bore holes at the base of the spear, chewed fibre in the crown.

What to do

Put up a pheromone trap, 1 per acre, to catch the beetles.
Check compost and manure pits for white grubs and destroy them.
In young palms, place small balls of used fishnet around the central shoot.
For palms attacked again and again, keep 20 g naphthalene balls in a perforated packet near the crown.

Spray advice (IIOPR)

No pesticide is officially registered for oil palm in India. This is ICAR-IIOPR's published advice. Check with your mill's field officer before spraying.

IIOPR: if trap catches are high, spray lambda-cyhalothrin 1 ml per litre of water at the central shoot.

Questions

How do I recognise rhinoceros beetle damage in oil palm?

V-shaped or fan-shaped cuts on opened fronds, bore holes at the base of the spear, chewed fibre in the crown.

What should I do about rhinoceros beetle damage?

Put up a pheromone trap, 1 per acre, to catch the beetles. Check compost and manure pits for white grubs and destroy them. In young palms, place small balls of used fishnet around the central shoot. For palms attacked again and again, keep 20 g naphthalene balls in a perforated packet near the crown.

Sources: ICAR-IIOPR Crop Calendar 2026

Check your palm with a photo

Palm Day's photo check tells you if it's this problem or something else, in Telugu.