Aphid menace on pomegranate

POMEGRANATE PUNICA granatum is an important fruit crop. Insect pests pose a greater threat to the crop. Pomegranate aphid, Aphis punicae passerini is considered a serious pest occurring regularly throughout the year with more abundance in winter.

Both adults and nymphs lives in colonies and suck the sap by penetrating their styles leaves, stem and even reproductive parts leading to curling of leaves, gradual fading of tender shoots, pre-mature fruit drop.

The aphids are greenish brown in color. The winged as well as wingless forms reproduce parthenogenetically and are viviparous. Aphids could be easily made out by the possession of a pair of honey tubes (cornicles) attached to the posterior end of the abdomen.

The honey dew secreted by the aphids encourages sooty mould growth on plant which affects the photosynthesis and also reduces the efficacy of plant protection chemicals.

The aphids can effectively managed by:

- Encouraging the population of coccinellid beetles - grubs of these beetles voraciously feeds on aphids.

- Pruning and burning of infested as well as water shoots checks the further multiplication's and

- Spraying the crop with dimethoate 30 EC at 1.75 ml/ lit or monocrotophos 36 SL or Oxydemeton methyl 25 EC at 1.0 ml/lit or imidachloprid 200 SL at 0.4 ml/lit 2-3 times at an interval of 10-12 days keeps the aphid population under check. Keeping in view the advantages of granular insecticides over sprays, carbofuron 3 G at 130 g/plant may also be used for the effective control of pomegranate aphids.

A. P. Biradar

Regional Research Station

Bijapur-586101.

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