Experts quell fears over Whiteflies
It has been seen on the rear side of coconut leaflets in large numbers forming honeydew.
ALAPPUZHA: A study by scientists from ICAR-CPCRI has reassured people not to panic as the parasitoid Encarsia naturally bred in coconut groves to fight whitefly outbreak and did not affect the productivity of the coconut. The reassurance comes in the context of the coconut whitefly, Aleurodicus species, emerging in certain pockets of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It has been seen on the rear side of coconut leaflets in large numbers forming honeydew.
The ICAR-CPCRI team included Dr Chandrika Mohan, Dr. Joseph Rajkumar and Dr: V Krishnakumar. The whitefly was found affected in the coconut palms in districts like Pathanamthitta and Kollam. That was the reason for black sooty mould fungus in healthy coconut leaves. According to the scientists, the deficit monsoon and a dip in relative humidity were the immediate reasons for the sudden increase in the pest.
Taking stock of the present situation, the team warned farmers against using insecticide for the sudden dispersal of whitefly. The parasitoid Encarsia helps farmers with natural bio-suppression. And they can recognise the symptoms of whitefly attack due to changes in coconut leaflets including black colour on the upper surface. The scientists suggested to farmers immediate methods like applying one percent starch solution on leaflets to flake out the sooty moulds and to install yellow sticky traps on the palm trunk to trap adult whiteflies.