It colonizes on the tender parts of the plant such as growing tips of the shoots, the terminal buds, the flower cushions, the young cherelles and mature pods. Feeding of mealy bugs induces cherelle wilt. Following control measures are recommended.
Planococcus lilacinus
Paracoccus marginatus
Rastrococcus iceryoides
When the infestation is lesser : Spraying of Neem Oil 3% or fish oil rosin soap 25g/litre
In case of severe incidence , spraying of any one of the following chemicals is recommended : Dimethoate (2 ml/litre) , Profenophos (2 ml/litre), Chlorpyriphos (5 ml/litre), Buprofezin (2 ml/litre), Imidacloprid (0.6 ml/lit), Thiamethoxam (0.6g/litre)
In the area where P. marginatus alone occurs, field release of Acerophagus papayae , the encyrtid parasitoid @ 100 per hamlet is recommended as the best management strategy.
