1. Cultural Practices and Resistant Varieties in Mango
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2. Background
Mango is the most important fruit crop of India. Damage by several insect pests viz., mango hoppers, mealy bugs, stem borer, fruit fly, stone weevil, scale, leaf Webber, leaf miner, leaf eating caterpillars and termites reduces extensive mango yield.
A large number of insects are normally killed by farmers unconsciously when they expose them to adverse climatic or biological conditions through agricultural operations like ploughing, hoeing, weeding, tillage, fertilizers, irrigation, pruning and thinning, etc.
Several insect-resistant varieties of mango have also been developed and released for the cultivations of farmers.
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3. Cultural Practices for Pest Management in Mango
Avoid dense plantings, prune overcrowded overlapping branches after rainy season as it provides favourable habitat for hopper multiplication.
Orchards should be kept clean by regular ploughing and removal of weeds Avoid waterlogged or damp conditions for managing mango hopper.
Cultivation of hopper-resistant varieties such as Bangalore round, Bapatala, AC 10, Seedless Pulhora, Kala Hapus, Keshar Basti, Annanas, Beneshan Bangalora, Chinnarasam, and Khander further reduces hopper damage in mango
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4. Loosening of soil around the trees in January, and pruning and destruction of infested shoots during April to May reduces the population of leaf webber.
Slug caterpillar should be kept in check by picking the gregarious caterpillars and the cocoons which are found on tree trunks and destroying them in water with a film of kerosene.
Scale infested plant parts should be pruned and destroyed immediately to reduce the scale insect infestation in mango.
Remove and destroy Inflorescence midge affected flowers and tender shoots to manage midges.
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5. Deep ploughing of in October-November exposes pupae and diapausing larvae of gall midge to sun’s heat which kills them.
Heavy irrigation in October and ploughing of orchards at bud burst stage of inflorescence destroys the diapausing pupae of midge.
Gall midge resistant mango varieties like Deshi Malgoba and Alam Baneshan further reduces midge damage in mango orchard.
Deep plughing of orchard in October- November to expose pupae and diapausing larvae of midges to sun’s heat which kills them.
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6. Flooding of orchard with water in the month of October kill the eggs of mealy bug.
Ploughing of orchard in November and raking of soil around tree trunk to expose the eggs of mealy bug to sun's heat, natural enemies ants and birds and thus reduces mealy bug population buildup.
Shoot borer damage can be reduced by clipping off and destruction of shoot borer attacked shoots.
Bark-eating caterpillar population can be reduced by keeping the orchard clean and removal of webs from tree trunks, filling the insect holes with insecticide and plugging with mud.
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7. Cultivation of parthenocarpic hybrid variety such
The stem borer damage can be minimized by removing affected seedlings, destruction of infested branches with grubs and pupae, and by keeping the mango orchard clean.
Collection and destruction of infested and fallen fruits at weekly interval till harvest fruit to manage stone weevil.
Ploughing after harvest and destruction of left over seeds in the orchard reduce infestation in the next season.
Cultivation of parthenocarpic hybrid variety such
as “Sindhu” reduces the infestation by stone weevil.
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8. Sanitation in the orchard is the most important preventive measure for fruit fly infection.
Heavy irrigation in October destroys the diapausing pupae of fruit flies and ploughing of orchard during November-December expose pupae to sun’s heat which kills them.
Collection and destruction of fallen fruits also help in reducing fruit flies infestation.
Grow fruit fly tolerant varieties like Toranjo, Monterio, and Manjurad.
Destruction of termitoria along with the queen, and painting the trees with tar and prompt removal of mud galleries as soon as they appear may be carried out regularly for controlling the termites.
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9. Summary Keep orchard clean and healthy.
Deep ploughing of mango orchard immediately after harvest results to expose eggs and pupae of mealy bug, inflorescence midge and fruit flies.
Heavy irrigation of mango orchard in October helps in destruction of mealy bug eggs, diapause pupae of midge and fruit fly.
Thin planting, clean orchard by regular ploughing, removal of weeds and pruning of over crowded and overlapping branches in December control the hoppers population buildup.
Collection and destruction of stone weevil/fruit flies infested fallen fruits and stones help in reduction and carry over of infestation.
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