Cassava scale: Aonidomytilus albus

Symptoms of damage

Infest stem portion Leaves of affected plants discoloured and dry up Stunting of plants

Identification of pest

Hard scale, oval and mussel like

Management

Selection of clean (scale free) planting material) Destroy infested stems Encourage coccinellid predators Spray methyl demeton 0.25%

Spiralling whitefly: Aleurodicus disperses 

Symptoms of damage

Yellowing of leaves Sooty mould in lower leaves Dropping of affected leaves

Identification of pest

Eggs: concentric rings covered with mealy coat Nymph: with numerous evenly spaced short glass like rods of wax on the sides of the body Adult: powdery white, active during early morning hours

Whitefly: Bemisia tabaci 

Symptoms of damage

Chlorotic spots on the leaves which latter coalesce forming irregular yellowing of leaf tissue Severe infestation results in premature defoliation Development of sooty mould Vector of  cassava mosaic virus

Identification of pest
Nymph - is greenish yellow, oval in outline Adult- is minute insects with yellow body covered with a white waxy bloom

Management

Remove alternate  host: Abutilon indicum Set up yellow sticky trap Spray phosalone 35 EC at 2.5 l/ha or quinalphos 25 EC at 2.0 l/ha or triazophos 40 EC 2.0 l/ha

Cassava mealy bug: Paracoccus marginatus 

Symptoms of damage

Sucking of sap at cassava shoot tips, on the lower surface of leaves, and on stems. During feeding - injects a toxin into the cassava plant Causing deformation of terminal shoots, which become stunted Resulting in compression of terminal leaves into "bunchy tops". Length of internodes is reduced, and stems are distorted.

Identification of pest
Cassava mealy bug is pinkish in colour. Its body is surrounded by very short filaments, and covered with a fine coating of wax.

Management

Release 100 No’s of Parasitoids