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Pest Management Decision Guide
6 December 2017

Cassava mealybug on cassava-Kenya: Phenacoccus manihoti;

Pictures

Cassava mealybugs (Georg Goergen/International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)/ Insect Museum, Cotonou, Benin)
Mealybug damage to leaves and stem (R Reeder, CABI)
Mealybug infestation on a cassava stem (R Reeder, CABI)

Prevention

Avoid the use of infested plant materials. Before planting, cuttings can be treated by immersing them in heated water (mix equal volumes of boiling and cold water) for 5 to 10 minutes to kill the pest
If available, plant varieties that are less susceptible to the pest
Plant early in the rainy season to allow the cassava plant to grow well, before the dry season, as strong plants are more likely to withstand pest attack
Use soil amendments and mulch to avoid moisture stress in sandy or poor soils. Mealybug numbers are higher on cassava grown on poor soil, and may cause damage in spite of the presence of natural enemies
Restrict movement of infested planting materials across borders or mealybug-free areas
If possible, avoid planting cassava for more than 3 years on the same piece of land. Rotate with maize and legumes

Monitoring

Check crop weekly for mealybugs on shoots, stems and leaves
The adult females and larvae will be visible on the stem and leaves. They are oval in shape, pinkish in colour and covered in a white, powdery wax
Symptoms on the plant include stunting, wilting, leaf distortion, leaf fall, rosetting of the stem, bunchy top and dieback
Ants may also be present as they protect the mealybugs and feed on the honeydew they produce
Black sooty mould may grow on the leaves and stem in the presence of honeydew
Take action when you notice white waxy material on shoot tips, leaves and stems or any signs of mealybugs

Direct Control

Remove and destroy infested plants or plant parts at early stages of infestation
Prune stems or leaves with high infestation and burn or bury more than 50 cm deep
Mix 5 g of soap (alata samina) + 5 g of powdered pepper in 1 litre of water and leave it for about 30 minutes. Pour the mixture into knapsack and apply in 15 litres of water
Apply neem oil e.g. Grow-safe. Add 10 ml soap to 1 litre of water and stir to mix. Add 50 ml neem oil to the 1 litre water-soap solution and mix thouroughly. Add the oil-water-soap solution to 14 litres water in the knapsack and apply within 8 hrs. Ensure thorough coverage
If possible, use natural enemies such as the parasitic wasp Apoanagyrus lopezi and ladybirds
Control ants as these will reduce the amount of natural predators

Direct Control

No chemicals are registered in Kenya for cassava mealybugs

Indexing Terms

Descriptors

  1. amendments
  2. arthropod pests
  3. biological control
  4. biological control agents
  5. botanical insecticides
  6. burning
  7. cassava
  8. control
  9. cultivars
  10. cultural control
  11. extension
  12. hot water treatment
  13. insect control
  14. insect pests
  15. insecticides
  16. monitoring
  17. mulches
  18. mulching
  19. natural enemies
  20. parasites
  21. parasitoids
  22. pest control
  23. pest management
  24. pesticides
  25. pests
  26. physical control
  27. plant oils
  28. plant pests
  29. planting date
  30. planting season
  31. predators
  32. predatory insects
  33. pruning
  34. rotations
  35. soaps
  36. soil
  37. soil amendments
  38. varietal resistance
  39. varieties

Organism Descriptors

  1. Anagyrus lopezi
  2. Apoanagyrus
  3. arthropods
  4. Coccinellidae
  5. Formicidae
  6. Hymenoptera
  7. insects
  8. Manihot
  9. Manihot esculenta
  10. Phenacoccus
  11. Phenacoccus manihoti
  12. Pseudococcidae

Identifiers

  1. climate smart agriculture
  2. ants
  3. Apoanagyrus lopezi
  4. biocontrol agents
  5. biological control organisms
  6. cassava mealybug
  7. cultivated varieties
  8. ladybirds
  9. ladybugs
  10. pest arthropods
  11. pest insects
  12. pest management decision guides
  13. predaceous insects
  14. predacious insects
  15. tapioca plant
  16. wasps
  17. biocontrol
  18. flaming
  19. manioc
  20. advisory services
  21. extension activities
  22. mulching materials
  23. vegetable oils
  24. crop rotation
  25. rotational cropping
  26. subsaharan Africa

Geographical Locations

  1. Africa South of Sahara
  2. Kenya

Broader Terms

  1. Anagyrus
  2. Encyrtidae
  3. Hymenoptera
  4. insects
  5. Hexapoda
  6. arthropods
  7. invertebrates
  8. animals
  9. eukaryotes
  10. Coleoptera
  11. Euphorbiaceae
  12. Malpighiales
  13. eudicots
  14. angiosperms
  15. Spermatophyta
  16. plants
  17. Manihot
  18. Pseudococcidae
  19. Coccoidea
  20. Sternorrhyncha
  21. Hemiptera
  22. Phenacoccus
  23. Africa
  24. ACP Countries
  25. Anglophone Africa
  26. Commonwealth of Nations
  27. East Africa
  28. Africa South of Sahara
  29. lower-middle income countries
  30. medium Human Development Index countries

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank
Pest Management Decision Guides
Pest Management Decision Guide: Green and Yellow List

Applicable geographic locations

Africa,  Kenya

History

Issue publication date: 1 January 2017
Published online: 6 December 2017

Language

English

Authors

Affiliations

CABI

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