Papaya

White fly

Symptoms of damage

Nymphs and adults suck the sap from undersurface of the leaves

Yellowing of leaves.

Identification of pest

Egg - pear shaped, light yellowish

Nymph - Oval, scale-like, greenish white

Settle down on a succulent part of leaves.

Adult - White, tiny, scale-like adults.

Management

Field sanitation

Removal of host plants

Installation of yellow sticky traps

Spray application of imidacloprid 200SL at 0.01% or triazophos 40EC at 0.06% during heavy infestation.

Spray neem oil 3% or NSKE 5%

Release of predators viz., Coccinellid predator, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

Release of parasitoids viz., Encarsia haitierrsis and E.guadeloupae

Fruit fly

Symptoms of damage

Maggots puncture into semi-ripe fruits with decayed spots

Oozing of fluid and brownish rotten patches on fruits.

Dropping of fruits.

Identification of pest

Egg - pear shaped, light yellowish

Nymph - Oval, scale-like, greenish white

Settle down on a succulent part of leaves.

Adult - White, tiny, scale-like adults.

Larvae

Adult

Management

Collect fallen infested fruits and dispose them by dumping in a pit and covering with soil.

Provide summer ploughing to expose the pupa

Monitor the activity of flies with methyl eugenol sex lure traps.

Heavy application of dust and sprays of pyrethrum or BHC

Spray fenthion 100 EC 2 ml/ lit or malathion 50 EC 2ml/lit.

Field release of natural enemies Opius compensates and Spalangia philippines

Note

Prepare bait with methyl eugenol 1% solution mixed with malathion 0.1%.

Take 10 ml of this mixture per trap and keep them in 25 different places in one hectare between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.

250 ml capacity wide mouthed bottle fitted with hanging device at its neck.

Change the solution at fortnightly interval from March to July.

Ash weevils

Symptoms of damage

Grub feed on the roots

Wilting of young saplings

notching of leaf margin by adults

Identification of pest

Grub – small, apodous

Adult – greenish white with dark lines on elytra

Management

Collect and destroy the adults

Spray carbaryl 50 WP at 2g/lit

Green peach aphid

Symptoms of damage

Nymphs and adults suck the sap from leaves, petioles and fruits

Leaf curling and falling

Premature fruit drop

Identification of pest

Adult: Dark brown to chocolate brown colour

Management

Remove and destroy damaged plant parts

Spray dimethoate 0.03% or methyl demeton 0.025%

Field release of parasitoid Aphelinus mali and predators,Coccinella septumpunctata

Source: https://tnau.ac.in/