A Paradigm shift in mealy bug infestation

Just a few years back, the mealy bug infestation on crops was considered only a trivial production constraint that farmers did not think more about its control measures, that is, very few chemicals were enough to control it. Whereas, now-a-days it has become a major pest in many crops.

     
   


THE mealy bug

Let us take the example of cotton fields in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu. Previously, more attention was towards the control of Boll worm, and lot of research was also on the same problem. The mealy bug which was  paid no heed  by many farmers in the past has today become one big peril. Pesticide companies are all in search of the perfect combination of chemical spray that would effectively control the mealy bugs in the cotton crop.

                                                           Mealy bug attacking cotton

And here, the present practice of farmers upon the mealy bug attack in cotton is as follows:

I spray : Rogar + Acetamapride
II spray (after just a week’s time): Acephate + Imidachloroprid

Even, after this treatment, sometimes the mealy bug visits again!
 
And,some farmers also try use of neem extracts along with thiomethonaxam. From all these, it is very clear that the cotton crop is almost fuming with chemicals (a mini chemistry lab in the field!)
 
The mealy bug being a major problem earlier in papaya alone, has now terrorised almost all of the crops, and has not even spared the Teak tree. A lot of research work is going on in this area, but it needs to be speeded up, and an effective solution for ‘THE mealy bug’ should be obtained as fast as possible. Scientists at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore are working on some biological control for the mealy bug problem. This angle of biological control should be given more impetus and may be a long term solution to mealy bug infestation.