24 May 2023, Thiruvananthapuram

The brainstorming session organized by ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) in Thiruvananthapuram became a platform for bringing together scientists from NBAIR, CTCRI, Kerala Agricultural University and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University along with different stakeholders including officials from all Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Kerala, state department of agriculture & farmers welfare, who discussed threadbare the management of cassava mealybug. Dr. S.C. Dubey, Assistant Director General (Plant Protection & Biosafety), ICAR, New Delhi and Dr. S.N. Sushil, Director, NBAIR, Bengaluru were also present to prepare the roadmap. 

Mealybugs are serious pests of a number of crops including cassava, the fifth most produced staple food crop of the world. Though look similar to a layman, there are three species of mealybugs found very seriously affecting cassava worldwide. The most serious of the three, cassava mealybug (Phenacoccus manihoti), first reported in India from Thrissur during April 2020 by National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR), Bangalore is the latest example. 

Five important topics were discussed by domain experts on (i) Hurdles in the management of mealybugs in agricultural crops (Dr. C.A. Jayaprakas, CTCRI), (ii) Management of mealy bugs using entomopathogenic fungi (Dr. O.P. Reji Rani, KAU), (iii) Mass culturing technique of cassava mealybug parasitoid, Anagurus lopezi (Dr. Sampath Kumar, NBAIR), (iv) Management of Paracoccus marginatus in cassava (Dr. M.T. Ranjith (KAU) and (v) Status of cassava mealybugs in Salem district and other cassava growing areas of Tamil Nadu and their management strategies (Dr. P.A. Saravanan, TNAU). 

In the plenary session of panel discussion, experts in the field interacted and addressed all queries raised by different stakeholders. Dr. G. Byju, Director, CTCRI in his concluding remarks said that a policy document on Management of mealybugs infesting cassava will be prepared considering all the valuable suggestions and recommendations of the sessions and, after consultation with ADG (PP&B) and Director, NBAIR, will be published and submitted to council. 

Dr. Harish, Organizing Secretary and Dr. S.S. Veena, Head (A), Division of Crop Protection coordinated the event.

The parasitoid wasps were released in cassava fields and distributed to officials of agriculture department, progressive farmers, eight KVKs from Kerala and also from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. 

ND

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