agriculture review
by aditya abhishek
Mealybugs are hazardous pests that can destroy your plant very fast. Controlling mealy bugs hence becomes very necessary.
Most common host plants are mango, citrus trees, hibiscus, sugar canes, grapes, pineapples, papaya, mulberry, gardenia, sunflower, etc.
They feed on the stem part where the leaf meets the stem to suck the plant sap that contains sugary plant juices & causes wilting, stunting, defoliation, and chlorosis.
You can get rid of mealy bug by cultural, physical, organic and chemical methods. Try these methods one by one.
Always try to grow resistant variety plant in your field. Avoid water logging in the field or pot. Introduce ladybugs to control mealybugs.
Do not use nitrogen rich fertilizers in excess. You can also clean the infected area with cotton swabs dipped in alcohol to control mealybugs.
You can use neem oil for controlling mealy bugs. Mix 5 ml of neem oil & 10 drops of liquid soap in 1 litre of water and spray on plants.
You can spray methyl parathion 50 EC 1000 ml / hectare on the stem of the infected plants to control this pest efficiently.
thanks for reading!