Résumé
One of the most important goals of coconut breeding today is to obtain coconut cultivars, tolerant or resistant to biotic stress, such as attacks by major coconut pests which are presently increased in threat due to climate change action. Pests on coconuts attack and disrupt the productivity of coconut plants and cause coconut productivity to decrease, and seedlings and mature bearing coconut trees can even die. The main pests that are making economically significant damage to coconut palm are insects, mites and nematodes. Among insects, Oryctes rhinoceros (Black Beetle), Rhynchoporus ferrugineus Oliver (Red Plam weevil), Brontispa longissima (hispine Beetle) and Aleurodicus cocois (Coconut Whitefly). Other major pests are Aceria guerreronis (coconut mite), and the red ring disease, caused by the nematode Bursaphelenchus cocophilus. Controlling and preventing pest attacks on coconut plants is very important to reduce yield losses. In response to herbivores, pathogens, and parasites, ranging from viruses to insects and mammals, plants have developed a large range of defensive strategies. Plant–pathogen interaction includes in a full continuum of outcomes, ranging from extreme susceptibility to tolerance, and up to complete resistance. The plant has one or more resistance genes that prevent the proliferation of the pathogen. So in the particular case of coconut pests, and in the context of the genetic improvement of coconut varieties, the concept of tolerance is more appropriate than that of resistance. One of the less costly and time-consuming methods for pest mitigation is to use tolerant varieties.