Aphid

The insect, Pentalonia nigronervosa is particularly important, as it is the vector of the virus causing bunchy top disease. Minor pest in south India, nymphs and adults suck sap from tender leaves and trasmit bunchy top disease.

Control

• The insect can be controlled by spraying 0.03% Dimethioate, Malathion, Metasystox.
• Applying granules at the time of planting to the rhizome or base of sucker.

Thrips affected Fruits	It has yellowish shaded wings, The damage done by thrips is by oviposition on the young fruits.  Nature of damage It causes smoky or red discolouration between individual fingers. The skin becomes reddish brown, roughened and dull in appearance, superficial cracks appear in discoloured skin. The fruits may also split.

Control

• Using only clean corms
• Dipping in Metasystox 0.1% solution to control the spread of the disease
• Spray the bunches after emergence with 0.2% Phosphomidan for effective control of pest

Family: Tylenchidae

Order: Radopholinae

• An extremely serious and wide spread nematode, particularly in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu also reported from Andhra Pradesh. Other hosts include coffee, pepper, coconut, vegetables, ornamentals, grasses and weeds.
• Nematodes are now recognised as an important soil-borne pathogens causing decline in yield in bananas.
• Affected plants do not respond to fertilizer, irrigation or cultural practices.
• The other nematodes associated with the banana crop in- clude, Heterodera oryzicula, Helicotylenchus sp. and Tylenchorhynchus sp.

Nature of damage

Infested roots

Larvae and females are found inside roots in the cortical parenchyma where they feed on the cytoplasm of nearby cells destroying them and forming root cavities which coalesce as the nematodes continuously feed by burrowing laterally and towards the endodermis, producing characteristic reddish-brown lesions throughout the cortex.

Lesions on stem

Fungi attack through the lesions resulting in atrophy of roots. There appears to be some association between the nematode and Panama disease.

Nematode damaged field

Eventually the root system is reduced to few short stubs and affected plants get "toppled".

Nematode management

Crop rotation

• Rotations involving turmeric, sugarcane, cotton and green gram. Paddy after banana suppressed the population of all nematodes.
• Paddy after banana, green gram after banana, two crops of paddy after banana were effective in reduction of R.similis. Fallowing and flooding for 3 months after banana efficiently suppressed R.similis.
• The nematode population was brought down especially R.similis, in coriander and banana ntercropping.

Mulching

• Applying black polythene mulch at 60 per cent moisture depletion recorded the lowest population.

Organic amendments

• Application of neem coated urea at 110 g/plant as a full dose to banana reduced the nematode population both in soil and root.

Chemical control

Sucker disinfestation

• Paring and pralinage treatment of suckers with Carbofuran 3G (45 g/sucker) is suggested as a control.

Field treatment

• Drenching Carbofuran 45% G at planting or Carbofuran pralinage registered lowest root nematode population coupled with maximum bunch yield per plant.

Family:

Curculionidae

Order :

Coleoptera

• Most destructive pest, widely distributed in all banana growing areas. Specific pest of Musa spp. Malbhog and Champa varieties highly susceptible.

Adult Weevil

Adult weevils (10-13mm) are shiny reddish brown to black, with a long and curved snout, elytra short and striated longitudinally, though functional, but the weevils seldom fly.

Grub	Grubs are creamy white, stout, fleshy, legless, wrinkled and spindle shaped, with red head.

Nature of damage

Damaged Rhizome

Eggs are laid in collar region or on under-ground rhizomes. Grubs bore into the pseudostem and rhizome and make tunnels by feeding.

Weevil damaged field

Adults also bore into the suckers. As a result of the attack by adults and grubs, the central shoots gets killed, plants show premature withering, suckers get killed, fruits remain undersized and fewer in number.

Damaged stem

Fungi and bacteria accelerate rotting. Trees may break down with strong winds. Similar damage is done by Odoiporus longicollis in North-East India.

Control

• Planting of healthy suckers
• Clean cultivation
• Removal of pseudostems below ground level
• Trimming the rhizome
• Dipping in methyl oxydemeton 2 ml/l solution prevents infestation.
• Applying castor cake 250g or carbaryl 50g dust or phorate 10g per pit before planting also prevents infestation.
• In case of severe attack, dimethoate methl, oxydemeton or phosphamidon may be sprayed around the collar region.
• Trapping of adults using yellow traps is also helpful.

Family:

Curculionidae

Order :

Coleoptera

• Most destructive pest, widely distributed in all banana growing areas. Specific pest of Musa spp. Malbhog and Champa varieties highly susceptible.

Adult Weevil

Adult weevils (10-13mm) are shiny reddish brown to black, with a long and curved snout, elytra short and striated longitudinally, though functional, but the weevils seldom fly.

Grub	Grubs are creamy white, stout, fleshy, legless, wrinkled and spindle shaped, with red head.

Nature of damage

Damaged Rhizome

Eggs are laid in collar region or on under-ground rhizomes. Grubs bore into the pseudostem and rhizome and make tunnels by feeding.

Weevil damaged field

Adults also bore into the suckers. As a result of the attack by adults and grubs, the central shoots gets killed, plants show premature withering, suckers get killed, fruits remain undersized and fewer in number.

Damaged stem

Fungi and bacteria accelerate rotting. Trees may break down with strong winds. Similar damage is done by Odoiporus longicollis in North-East India.

Control

• Planting of healthy suckers
• Clean cultivation
• Removal of pseudostems below ground level
• Trimming the rhizome
• Dipping in methyl oxydemeton 2 ml/l solution prevents infestation.
• Applying castor cake 250g or carbaryl 50g dust or phorate 10g per pit before planting also prevents infestation.
• In case of severe attack, dimethoate methl, oxydemeton or phosphamidon may be sprayed around the collar region.
• Trapping of adults using yellow traps is also helpful.