Crop Protection :: Pests of Banana 
         
       
      
          
            
                Rhizome weevil: Cosmopolites sordidus  
                
                  
                    | Symptoms of damage | 
                   
                  
                    
                        - Grubs bore into the rhizome and cause death of the      plant
 
                        - Presence of dark coloured tunnels in the rhizomes.
 
                        - Death of unopened pipe, withering of outer leaves.
 
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                    | Identification of pest | 
                   
                  
                    
                      
                        - Eggs:laid singly, white in colour      present on the upper part of rhizome
 
                          - Grub: Apodous, yellowish white      with red head
 
                          - Pupa: white in colour, occur in      inside the corm and tunneling
 
                          - Adult: Dark weevil, newly      emerged weevil is red brown
 
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                    | Management | 
                   
                  
                    
                        - Select healthy sucker and plant
 
                        - Do not take regular crop in the same field to avoid      initial infestation
 
                        - Ensure clean cultivation
 
                        - Removal of pseudo stems below ground level
 
                        - Trimming the rhizome
 
                        - Avoid growing Robusta, Karpooruvally, Malbhog, Champa      and Adukkar
 
                        - Grow less susceptible varieties like Poovan, Kadali,      Kunnan, Poomkalli
 
                        - Use cosmolure trap at 5/ha
 
                     
Banana corm split trap 
                    
                      - Trap adult      weevils with pseudostem chopped into small pieces
 
                      - kept near      infested clump at 65/ha.
 
                      - Soil      incorporation at the time of planting: carbofuran 3 G 10g, phorate 10 G 5      g/plant.
 
                      - Before planting,      the suckers should be dipped in 0.1 per cent quinalphos emulsion.
 
                      - Apply castor      cake 250g or carbaryl 50g dust or phorate 10g per pit before planting also      prevents infestation
 
                      - Severe attack      dimethoate, methyl demeton may be sprayed around the      collar region.
 
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