Coconuts to face new threats of coconut leaf beetle

May 19 2013
Thiruvananthapuram

Coconut leaf beetle a destructive pest that has blighted the crop in several countries bordering India is now posing threat to Coconut farming in Kerala . The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) is closely monitoring the invasive species, Deputy Director General (Horticulture) N.K. Krishnakumar has said.

A native of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Pacific Islands, the coconut leaf beetle (Brontispa longissima) is classified as a very destructive pest attacking the leaves of young coconut palms. “B. longissima is an immediate threat likely to affect Kerala and other States any time. It is already on our Red List and people are working on a strategy to control it,” Dr. Krishnakumar said. “Like earthquakes, you do not know when or where it could come from. We only know it is likely to come.”

Dr. Krishnakumar said India was highly vulnerable to the threat posed by at least 10 to 12 species of dreaded invasive crop pests including the Cassava mealy bug (Phenacoccus manihoti) and Giant Whitefly that infests ornamental plant species in nurseries and gardens. The Wheat Rust UG99, a disease triggered by a fungus, is also considered a potential threat to Indian crop production.

Source– http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/new-threat-from-coconut-pest/article4727783.ece

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