The Hindu Business Line : Mite infestation annual loss put at Rs 150 cr

THE annual loss due to mite infestation in Kerala alone has been estimated at Rs 150 crore, said Dr S. Edison, Director, Agro Ecosystem Directorate (Coastal), Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram.

The CTCRI Director, who was in the city to participate in a daylong workshop on `Integrated Management of Eriophyid Mite on Coconut,' observed that mite infestation in all coconut-growing districts in the southern States ranged between 5 and 48 per cent. "Though a few chemical insecticides were recommended for management of the mite, no effective control has been achieved in any part of the world," lamented Dr Edison.

Scientists from different State Agricultural Universities and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research have joined hands to control the spread of mite infestation in coconuts.

Meanwhile, Dr C. Ramasamy, Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University pointed out that the scientific community's research effort to breed new varieties with resistance to pests and diseases, was hampered because of the perennial nature of the crop.

Dr Edison said a new integrated pest management package was in the offing. The package includes eco-friendly components to avoid environmental hazards.

In the future, the thrust areas in research would be in developing mechanisms for increasing the persistence of botanicals and fungal pathogens on nut surface, in making in developing soil amendments; and the promotion of large-scale adoption of an integrated pest management package, Dr Edison said.

More Stories on : Pests | Coconut & Copra

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