A complete guide for controlling pest in fruits!
These are as follows:
(i) Mango Leaf Hopper (Amritodus Atkinsom):
This is also known as Aam ka chenpa, pharka, lassi, thala, tela, etc., in different parts of India. This pest is prevalent during the flowering season, when it multiplies in large number and proves devastating to the crops.
The heavy infestation of pest usually occurs periodically after every three or four years and that is why the pest is known as the periodic insect pest attack, starts from end of March and continues till the end of June. The old trees are more intensively damaged than the newly planted ones.
(ii) Mango Mealy Bug (Drosicha Mangiferae):
The mango mealy bug is responsible for devastating the crop during its serious incidence. The pest is found all along the Indo-gangetic plains. The attack persists from November to April to May and by that time the insect changes into adult.
(iii) Mango Stone Weevil (Sternochetus Mangiferae):
This is quite a peculiar pest which makes a tunnel inside the ripe fruit, thus destroying it. They are also found in the soils of mango orchard.
(iv) Bark Eating Caterpillars (Inderbela Quadrinotata and I. Tetranois):
Fruit trees are damaged to a considerable extent by the bark eating caterpillars, which attack trees of all ages, particularly the older ones, lowering their vitality. When severely infested, the entire branch or tree may die.
(v) Fruit Flies (Drosophila):
The fruit flies of are important pests of mango. They cause dark punctures in the fruits for oviposition from June to August.
(vi) Mango Stem Borer (Bactocera Rofomaculate):
It is a very serious pest of mango. It attacks the main trunk and branches resulting in their complete drying. The borer is the grub of a large, stout, long homed beetle. The insect is found throughout India.
Raking the soil around the base of the infested tree so that egg masses are exposed to the Sun and are killed by the heat during May – June.
Application of sticky band around the tree trunk so as to check the nymphs from crawling up the trees (4 parts castor oil plus 5 parts resin), 1/2 to 1 m above the ground level during the second week of December.
These are as follows:
The maximum damage to litchi in India is done by this mite. Both adult and nymph infest the leaves. They live at the base of hair on the under surface of leaves and cause a brown velvety growth. The attack of mites is in March and their maximum activity is in July. Spraying with Kelthane 0.12% during the new flush period at three weeks interval will be highly effective in checking this insect. Dimethoate (0.05 %) may also be used in place of Kelthane.
(ii) Caterpillar (Inderbela Tetraonis):
It is a bark eating caterpillar. The adult moth of this pest lays eggs during May and June in groups of 15-25 which hatch in 8-10 days. The larvae web shelters of wood, silk and excreta and feed on the surface of the bark till September.
Plugging the holes with fumigants such as carbon bisulphide, petroleum or formalin and then plastering with mud controls this pest effectively. The bats and birds also cause considerable loss of the fruits. They can be scared away by beating drums or by bursting crackers.
Insects are the common pests attacking the banana plantations.
Some of these major pests include:
(i) Rhizome Weevil – The larva or grub of banana weevil, borer (Cosmopolitus sordidus) makes tunnel into the rhizome of the banana plant.
Control – Dip the plant material in Monocrotophos (0.1%) solution before planting.
(ii) Pseudo-stem Weevil – This is another serious and specific pest of banana common in Assam, Paschim Bangal, Bihar, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Control – In the initial stage of infestation, insert aluminium phosphate tablets at three tablets of 0.5 g each per pseudo-stem.
(iii) Aphid- Aphids are serious pests of banana which act as vector of the virus causing bunchy top disease. They are commonly spread in Eastern and Southern parts of the country.
Control – Remove and destroy the virus affected plants or Spray 0.03% phosphamidon or Dichlorvos to kill the aphids.
(iv) Nematodes – Two species of important and destructive nematodes viz. burrowing nematode (Radopholus similus) and spiral nematode (Helicotylenchus multicinctus) restrict the cultivation of banana in almost all the banana growing regions of the world.
Control – Dip the banana suckers in mud slurry (made by mixing 40 L of clay in 50 L of water) and sprinkle with Carbofuran at 12 g or Aldicarb at 1.0 g per sucker. The suckers should be dried in shade and used for planting.
The major pests attacking the guava include fruit flies, scales, mealybug and bark eating caterpillar.
(i) Fruit Fly – Fruit fly is a serious pest of the rainy season in Uttar Pradesh and also Western and Southern India. It affects the fruits and feeds on the soft pulp.
(iii) Mealy Bug – Mealy bugs attack the young leaves, twigs and flowers and suck the sap from them resulting in the drying of the affected parts. The yield is also considerably reduced.
Control – Band the base of the plant with polythene film to prevent the nymph from climbing up. .
(iii) Bark Eating Caterpillar – The caterpillar attacks the barks and feeds on them. The bark surface is seen covered with silken gallaries full of faecal matter, which extends downwards from the bored hole.
There are mainly five insects, which attack the ber tree severely.
These are described here:
(i) Fruit Fly (Carpomiya Vesuviana):
This is the most dangerous insect of ber crop. The infestation starts in September (when the fruits are very small) and continues till harvest.
Control:
Spray of 0.17% Rogor 30 EC (Dimethoate) or a mixture of 100 ml Malathion 50 EC and one kg jaggery in 100 L of water during fruiting season are very effective to control. Katha, Tikdi, Dodhia and Mehrun are considered to be resistant to fruit fly.
(ii) Bark Eating Caterpillar (Inderbela Quadinotata):
The presence of winding galleries spider web like structure on the stem/branches indicate the infestation by this pest.
Control:
These galleries should be removed and the vicinity of the exposed holes should be painted with a mixture of 10 mL Monocrotophos 40 EC or 40 mL of Trichlorophos 50 EC in 10 L of water. Few drops of kerosene oil in holes will also control the insect.
(iii) Hairy Caterpillar (Euproctis Fraterna):
These caterpillars cause heavy losses of young leaves and tender fruits.
Control – In early stages, it can be controlled by dusting 10% BHC.
(iv) Leaf Chafer (Adoretus Pollens):
Adult beetle of leaf chafer is highly damaging to ber crop. They are active during the rainy season (July-August), when new growth starts. In severe cases no leaves are spared on the trees.
Various insect pests that attack a plum tree are given here:
(i) San Jose Scale (Quadraspidiotus perniciosus) – This is a serious pest on plums. The adults which feed on sap from twigs and fruits are small, circular and grey and they cause spotting on the fruits.
(ii) Plum Fruit Moth (Laspeyresia pomonella) – This is prevalent in the cool and temperate regions. The larvae enter both immature and mature fruit and tunnel deep into the tissue.
(iii) Mites – Species like Tetranychus urticae, T. pacificus and Panonychus uimi attack the plum trees.
The major insect pests of papaya includes mites, aphids and white-flies. However, they are occasionally attacked and damaged by grasshopper, fruit flies, mealybugs, scales, stem borer, leaf eating beetles and termites.
These are:
1. Mite – It is a serious pest of papaya in India. These mites suck the sap of the leaves and yellowish spots appear, on the dorsal side of the infested leaves which finally dry up and fall off prematurely.
2. Aphids – These are known to transmit virus. They feed on leaves and suck the plant sap. Necrotic spots appear on the leaves, which later on turn into blistered patches of green tissues.
3. White Flies – These are a common pest of papaya and are destructive/active during dry season. They suck the cell sap and are seen clustering between the veins on the ventral surface of the leaves. They also act as vectors in transmitting the virus.
4.
Nematodes – The root knot nematode and reniform nematode cause severe damage to papaya.
Insects Pests:
Very few insects and pests attack pears.
They are:
(i) Bark Eating Caterpillar – These caterpillars feed on the bark of stem of pear plant. For controlling this pest, remove the webbing and locate the hiding holes.
(ii) Aphids – Aphids infest leaves, petioles, blossoms and fruits. Affected leaves curl up and fall. Blossoms and young fruits fall prematurely, whereas in the case of older fruits, growth is adversely affected.
These are as follows:
1. Mealy Bugs (Pseudococcus Carymbatus):
This insects are polyphagous (feeding on different kind of vegetation) in their feeding habit. Both, nymph and adult females suck the sap from the leaves, shoots and berries, thereby weakening the vigour of the vines. These insects also secrete honey dew like substance on the fruits and leaves, which favours the growth of sooty mould. This sooty mould inhibits the photosynthetic activities of the plants.
2. Shot Hole Borer (Xyleborus Semiopaus):
This pest is serious from June to October. Its beetles bore holes in the stems and branches which induce exudation of gum.
3. Flea Beetle (Scelodonta Strigicollis):
The adult beetles of this insect feed on emerging buds and young leaves by cutting holes and as a result the leaves show punctured appearance. The pest is more active during September to December and again during March to May in South India, while in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh it appears from March to November.
4. Thrips (Rhiphiphorothrips Cruentalis):
It starts damaging the vines soon after pruning, when the plant bears new vegetative flush. The peak infestation is during hot weather and also during October to December.
5. Spider Mites (Paratetranychus Punicae):
It is a sporadic pest on grapes but sometimes infestation is severe. The adults and nymphs suck the sap from the upper surface of the leaves. This pest is mainly active during May-August.