SAFE, ECONOMICAL AND EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MANGO MEALY BUG {DROSICHA MANGIFERAE GREEN) IN INFESTED MANGO ORCHARDS AND OTHER PLANTATIONS

摘要

Mango mealy bug, Drosicha angiferae Green (Hemiptera: Margarodidae) is known as one of the most serious pests of orchards in the mango growing countries of the globe, causing quantitative and qualitative losses. Any one technique, or a strategy comprising of combination of techniques e.g., the use of integrated pest management can be adopted to overcome the pest problem. All these techniques had some demerits and hence could not get the status of a satisfactory solution. There was a dire need to evolve a simple, practical, effective and satisfactory solution. Therefore, these studies were undertaken which focused on the collection and destruction of gravid female which comes down after completing the life cycle, wandering in search of suitable place for egg laying instead of focusing its progeny, which hatches out from its eggs after over aestivation, in the winter season. The studies were undertaken during 2010-2013. In the cultural control adopted in the study, excellent results were achieved which resulted in maximum reduction of the nymphal population of the pest in next year. The parameter for comparison of different techniques was reduction of viable eggs/square inch of the gravid females in percentage. The results of our studies suggested that percent reduction of eggs were 99.1% per square inch in the treatment where earthing up /mounds were formed on plastic sheet with hay grass, debris, dried leaves, weeds and number of eggs were reduced in the treatment where mounds were formed with mud i.e. 10.0 % per square inch. In next season, 99.5% and 99.8% less population of gravid females on the trees per 30 cm branch were recorded former treatment. This technique is expected to be the most popular technology among the farmers facing the problem of mango mealy bug on mango and other woody trees like fig, mulberry, date palm etc.