Sri Lanka agro firm helps combat mealy bug menace

A Sri Lankan agro firm has set up a help desk to combat the spread of 'mealy bug' which is sweeping through home gardens in the island's capital Colombo, and is threatening several agro areas.

Hayleys Agro Products says about 60 crops that can be affected by mealy bug (Pseudococcidae family) have been identified.

These include milky sap plants such as temple trees, jackfruit, breadfruit, papaw, rambutan, crotons and other foliage plants and plants belonging to the citrus variety such as lemon in home gardens.

The problem is rampant in the Western Province at present, but has also been detected in Chilaw, Ratnapura, Kegalle and Anuradhapura. The most visible sign of infestation is a white powdery substance mainly on the underside of leaves.

Hayleys Agro Products, a unit of Sri Lanka's listed Hayleys group, says it is working with the country's agricultural office and has deployed teams of extension officers to advice growers.

"As a specialist in agri-pest control and the biggest supplier of agri inputs in Sri Lanka, Hayleys Agro has the knowledge and the products to combat the Mealy Bug outbreak," its General Manager, Crop Protection Division S. M. Gamage said.

"We are happy to share our knowledge with the victims of the Mealy Bug as part of our commitment to agriculture and the community."

The company has set up a help desk for free advice and guidance on combating the bug.

Hayleys Agro says its pesticide 'Admire SL 20' has been found to be effective in combating the mealy bug but it is not ideal for home gardens where houses are nearby.

Gamage says it is advisable to remove the plant or infected parts of the plant or to spray strong jets of water on the plant and spray with soapy water.

Applying grease on the bark can also prevent re-infection.

The life cycle of a mealy bug ranges from 21-30 days, but due to high temperature the life cycle can get shortened to 7-15 days.

Mealy bugs can reproduce by laying eggs or by bearing live young. The female mealy bug lays around 500-600 eggs at a time and these eggs hatch in ten days.

The nymphs, which are pale yellow, begin feeding immediately.

The young nymphs remain in a ‘crawler’ stage for a short time. Gradually a white fluffy, waxy coating begins to form over their bodies. As the coating gets thicker, the nymphs’ movements become sluggish.

The company says 200 species of mealy bug have been identified in Sri Lanka. One of the most common is a species of papaya mealybug or Paracoccus marginatus.

The pest is transferred mainly through ants and cocoons are also transferred through wind.

There may be several generations of mealy bugs per year. Dry and hot weather offers favorable growing conditions for mealy bugs.

According to the website of the University of Florida's agricultural sciences, the mealy bug was believed to be of South or Central American origin but did not become a pest due to the existence of natural predators.

Mealy bug became a pest as it spread to other countries. The USA has also successfully used biological pest control, to combat the bug, it said.