Mango Hopper : Most Serious And Widespread Pests

Mango is a very important and popular fruit in the world. It is the choicest fruit of the subcontinent and is known as king of all fruits. Its popularity is mainly due to its excellent flavor, delicious taste, and high nutritive value being rich in vitamins A and C. Its origin is believed to be south Asia where it has been cultivated for the last four thousand years . Now it is a commercially cultivated important fruit India . But production of mango is enormously handicapped by the ravages of insect pests from seedling to their maturity. More than 300 insect pests have been recorded to attack mango crop in different regions of world .

Among the mango pests, Mango hopper is one of the most serious and widespread pests throughout the country, which causes heavy damage to mango crop. Both the nymphs and adults of the hoppers puncture and suck the sap from tender shoots, inflorescences, and leaves of mango crop, which cause nonsetting of flowers and dropping of immature fruits, thereby reducing the yield. Hoppers also excrete a secretion, called honey dew. The hoppers produce honeydew while feeding which promotes the growth of a fungus commonly known as sooty mould. The sooty mould interferes with the process of photosynthesis leading to reduction in the yield. The hoppers make holes and suck the nutrients from soft tissues of panicles, leaves, flowers, fruits and fresh twigs. Hoppers also release sweet liquid onto the leaves, on which a black coloured fungus develops, which reduces the strength of the plant. Heavy attacks cause curling and drying of infested parts. If young trees experience a severe attack, they are much retarded while severely attacked older trees do not bear fruit, which results in a complete loss of yield.

Adult hoppers are brown in colour and are wedge or triangular in shape. The young ones are similar in shape to the adult but vary in size and colour. Both are very active and move sideways. Hoppers are present all year round in the orchard. Females lay eggs from February to March on flowers. Peaks in population are observed during February to April and July to August.

Control :

At HPM, helping farmers in their fight against pest drives. Our purpose is to innovate to bring best agrochemicals to farmers that significantly improve their crop. Devsena is the result of our innovative efforts. Devsena is broad spectrum systemic insecticide contains the active ingredient (Thiamethoxam) which protects mango crop from hopper attack. It is soil-applied insecticide and having quick action against sucking and chewing pests. It has labeled for use on Ground Nut, Sugarcane, Rice and Cotton. Devsena may direct the application at the base of the plant for optimum root uptake when making post-emergence applications. It improves the plant from primary treatment, it took up by the plant faster which results higher yield and improved crop quality resulting longer-lasting systemic control. For use, measured out the required quantity of the Devsena and mix it well with a small quantity of water and add remaining quantity of water as specified with thorough agitation and apply as soil drenching in Ground Nut, Sugarcane and Cotton. It has negligible effect on beneficial insects.