Foliar application of selected insecticides and nutrients : effects on the striped mealybug control and mango fruit yield and quality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24425/jwld.2025.155303Abstract
Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), known as the striped mealybug, is a common pest on mango trees. This pest feeds on sap, leading to tree weakening trees, and extreme case causing their death. Infestation leads to the formation of cottony masses on mango fruits, reducing their nutritional, marketing, commercial, and export value. The current experiment aimed to determine the effectiveness of some chemical insecticides, applied with or without the addition of foliar nutrients, in combating the striped mealybug and improving the productivity of ‘Zebda’ mango fruits. The results exhibited that F. virgata nymphs were more sensitive to the tested insecticides than the females. Seven days after spraying, all insecticides resulted in a significant increase in mortality rates, which continued to rise over time for both F. virgata nymphs and adult females. Among the tested treatments, Imidacloprid showed to be the most effective in reducing F. virgata females and nymphs, while Malatox exhibited the lowest efficacy. Spraying mango trees with Imidacloprid insecticide in addition to boron, calcium, and magnesium - each at a concentration of 2.5 cm3∙dm-3 - led to a noticeable improvement in all physical and chemical characteristics of fruits compared to unsprayed trees. However, the lowest values were observed in trees treated with Malatox alone. In addition, the maximum avoidable loss was estimated for all studied parameters in trees treated with Malatox only, with the exception of fruit acidity.References
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