Pests of Banana
There are more than 182 insect pests of banana in India. The banana weevil and Pseudostem borer are the most destructive pest in India. Most of the other insect pest feeding on this plant are of minor pests of local importance and are not specific to banana. The aphid Pentalonia nigronervosa is however important not as a pest but as vector of very serious disease called Bunchy top of banana.
Major Pests
1. Rhizome Weevil
2. Pseudostem Borer
3. Banana Aphid
4. Lacewing Bugs
Minor Pests
5. Thrips
6. Scale
7. Leaf Feeder
8. Tobacco Caterpillar
9. Bagworm
1. Rhizome weevil: Cosmopolites sordidus (Curculionidae: Coleoptera)
Distribution and status: India, South East Asia, Australia, Hawaii Islands, Tropical South Africa and Tropical America. Major pest.
Host range: Banana, cocoa
Damage symptoms
Grubs bore into the rhizome causing death of unopened pipe, withering of outer leaves and finally death of the plant.
Bionomics
Eggs laid in small burrows scooped out by the beetle on the root stock or within leaf sheaths, egg period 5-8 days. Grub is apodous and yellowish with reddish head becomes full-grown in 25 days. Grub pupates within chamber made near the outer surface of the rhizome, pupal period 5-6 days. Adult tunnels within stem, feeding on its internal tissues and lives for one year.
Management
- Use healthy and pest free suckers
- Trap the adult weevils by placing chopped pseudostem in the cropped area
- Uproot and destroy infested rhizomes
- Select infestation - free suckers
- Under take soil incorporation of lindane 1.3 D 20 g/plant or carbaryl 5D 10-20 g/plant or carbofuran 3G 20 g/plant or phorate 10 G 10 g/plant around pseudostem.
- Adopt paring and pralinage of banana suckers before planting.
2. Pseudostem borer: Odoiporus longicollis (Curculionidae: Coleoptera)
Distribution and status: It is widely distributed in all banana growing areas. Major pest.
Host range: Banana
Damage symptoms
Grubs bore holes and tunnels in the pseudostem causing wilting of the plant. They also feed on tissues of leaf sheath from the inner surface and also on decaying tissues.
Bionomics
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Eggs thrust within air chamber @ one egg/air chamber in leaf sheath through oviposition slits made by rostrum. Eggs are laid in the psedostem about 1-1.5 m above ground level. Egg period 4-8 days. Grub apodous, grub period 30-65 days with five larval instars. Grubs pupate in tunnel towards the periphery in a cocoon made from pieces of fibrous sheath materials. Pupal period 24-44 days. Adult longevity two years.
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Management:
i. Adopt good cultivation practices to improve weevil tolerance
ii. Maintain healthy plantation by periodical removal of dry leaves and suckers.
iii. Prune the side suckers every month
iii. Inject pseudostem with monocrotophos 36 WSC (50 ml + 350 ml water) @ 2 ml at 45 cm height and another at 150 cm height from ground level at monthly intervals from 5th - 8th month. Beyond 8 months (after flowering), this should not be done.
v. Do not dump infested materials into manure pit.
vi. Uproot infested trees, chop into pieces and burn.
3. Banana aphid: Pentalonia nigronervosa (Aphididae: Hemiptera)
Distribution and status: India, Sri Lanka, Australia
Host range: Banana, cardamom , Alocasia sp, Colocasia sp, caladium
Damage symptoms
Aphids are seen in colonies on leaf axils and pseudostems. It causes indirect damage by transmitting the notorious virus disease bunchy top.Green streaks initially appear on the secondary viens on the vental side of the lamina. The affected leaves become brittle, small and petioles get elongated. Crown composed of narrow stunted leaves gives buncy top appearance. |
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Bionomics
Brown adult has black-veined wings. Aphids live in colonies within leaf-axils or tender leaves and at base of the stem at the ground level. Adults reproduce parthenogenetically 35-50 nymphs during a life span of 27-37 days. Nymphs undergo four instars during 8-12 days nymphal period. Life cycle completed in 12-15 days, about 30-40 overlapping generations completed in a year.
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Management
- Spray monocrotophos 36 SL 1.5 - 2.0 L methyl demeton 25 EC or dimethoate 30 EC 3.0-4.0 L in 1500-2000 L water per ha towards the crown and pseudostem base.
- Inject pseudostem with monorotophos 36 SL @1 ml in 4 ml of water per tree at 45 days interval from the 3rd month till flowering.
- Avoid monocrotophos injection after flowering.
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4. Lacewing bugs: Stephanitis typicus (Tingidae: Hemiptera)
Distribution and status: India, SE Asia, Japan and Korea
Host range: Banana, ginger, turmeric, cardamom and jasmine
Damage symptoms: Both nymphs and adults feed in colonies on undersurface of leaves and cause discolouration.
Bionomics: Adults are small, dull-coloured or white bugs with transparent shiny lace-like reticulate wings, nymphs are black coloured.
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Management: Spray methyl demeton 25 EC or dimethoate or monocrotophos 36 SL1.5 - 2.0 L or quinalphos 25 EC 3.0 – 4.0 L in 1500-2000 L of water per ha
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