4 months ago
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The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) is faced with the necessity for broad-basing biologic power of Rugose Spiralling Whitefly (RSW) that has infested the predominant coconut harvest successful the Pollachi-Udumalpet loop successful Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts.
The assemblage is taking initiatives for scaling up capable proviso of predators and parasitoids for controlling the dispersed of the pest done its ain Department of Agricultural Entomology and the Coconut Research Station (CRS), Aliyarnagar.
The pest starts showing up during January and the drooping leaves go rather disposable during March-April, peculiarly successful dwarf and hybrid harvest varieties.
According to Subramani, a coconut husbandman successful Udumalpet, proviso of capable quantities of parasites and predators by the authorities authorities was the lone enactment for controlling the pest.
The CRS has been scaling up the accumulation of Apertochrysa astur eggs. The larvae enactment arsenic a important biologic power cause feeding connected RSW eggs and nymphs. Having initiated accumulation of the Apertochrysa astur eggs 5 months back, the CRS present has a capableness to nutrient 2000 eggs per day. The capableness was being scaled up for expanding the accumulation five-fold, according to authoritative sources.
The CRS is besides into accumulation of braconid wasps for biologic power of black-headed caterpillar, a pest that has infested crops successful Sulur and surroundings successful Coimbatore district, Tiruppur, Theni, and Dharmapuri-Krishnagiri belt. About 5,000 big braconid wasps are being produced and supplied each day, it is learnt.
At the TNAU, the Department of Agricultural Entomology has scheduled a grooming programme for wide multiplication of parasites and predators connected Wednesday (January 21, 2026).
The Coconut Development Board has been backing the researches successful TNAU for making the bio-control cause disposable to the coconut farmers astatine affordable cost.
The accent of the Central squad that carried retired inspections past November astatine farms successful Pollachi North, Pollachi South, Anamalai and Kinathukadavu blocks to find Rugose Spiralling Whitefly and and basal wilt infestations successful coconut plantations, for preventing the dispersed was connected wide multiplication of predators and parasitoids and demolition of heavy infested older leaves. The squad consisted of officials and scientists of Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Coconut Development Board, Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), TNAU, and elder officials of Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Government of Tamil Nadu.
A twelvemonth back, farmers were advised to utilise aphelinid parasitoids for biologic power of 2 whitefly species: rugose spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin) and Bondar’s nesting whitefly (Paraleyrodes bondari Peracchi).
