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SciTech
Rhinocerous beetle on coconut palms
OCCURRENCE OF rhinocerous beetle attack is common in trees with `V' shaped scissor cuttings on fronds. Infected palms wilt with terminal unopened frond which later dry.
In year old palms new leaves begins to emerge after sometime, but health of the tree suffers due to damage caused by the beetle at the base. In some trees the growing bud tends to project out like a horn through the bore hole chewed by the pest. The bud splits up into malformed leaves and the growth of trees is malformed. The beetle chews the fibrous tissue and bores inside the young palms just near the ground region.
Chewed up fibres protrude out of the hole and can be easily seen. Sometimes, the beetle itself is visible hiding inside the bore hole which can be hooked out and killed. The adults alone cause the direct damage to the palms while grubs live in farmyard manure pits.
The management of this beetle in young palms is to be planned from planting of seedlings. Monthly application of insecticides like methyl parathion dust or lindane dust or carbaryl dust at 50 gm per tree at the base of stem and in crown region by mixing with equal quantity of sand, reduces the incidence of damage by this beetle.
Attracting and killing of the beetles could be done by keeping soaked castor cake in small mud pots in the garden. The seedlings are to be examined weekly for the damage and incidence. Manure pits in the adjoining vicinity should be incorporated with insecticide dust and turned up periodically.
The entomogenous green muscardine fungus, Metarhiziumanisopliae can also be incorporated in the manure pits to induce disease and check population of grubs.
B. Rajendran & S. Giridharan
Sugarcane Research Station
TNAU, Cuddalore 607 001.
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