Pathogen : Cercospora moricola
Occurrence : It is more prevalent during rainy season followed by winter. The disease starts progressing 35-40 days after pruning (DAP)/leaf harvesting and becomes severe on the 70th DAP.
Crop loss : 10-12 %
Symptoms : Brownish necrotic, irregular spots appear on the leaf surface. Spots enlarge, extend and join together leaving characteristic ‘shot hole’. Leaves become yellow and wither off as disease becomes severe.
Factors responsible for spreading of the disease:
Pathogen : Phyllactinia corylea
Occurrence : Disease is prevalent during winter and rainy seasons and progresses 40th DAP/leaf harvest becoming severe on 70th DAP.
Crop loss : 5-10%
Symptoms : White powdery patches appear on the lower surface of the leaves. The corresponding portions on the upper surface develop chlorotic lesions. When severe, the white powdery patches turn to brownish-black; the leaves become yellow, coarse and loose their nutritive value.
Factors responsible for spreading of the disease:
Control measures to be adopted:
Pathogen : Cerotelium fici
Occurrence : The disease is more prevalent during winter and rainy seasons. It starts progressing 45-50 DAP becoming severe on 70th DAP. The mature leaves are more prone to the disease
Crop loss : 10-15%
Symptoms : Initially, circular pinhead sized brown eruptive lesions appear on the leaves and later leaves become yellow and wither off.
Factors responsible for spreading of the disease:
Control measures to be adopted:
Pathogen : A group of fungi
Occurrence: The disease is more prevalent during winter (August-December) season.
Crop loss: 10-15%
Symptoms : Thick black coating develops on the upper surface of the leaves.
Factors responsible for spreading of the disease:
Control measures to be adopted:
Causal organism: Meloidogyne incognita (Nematode)
Occurrence: The disease is out break through out the year and more common in sandy soils under irrigated conditions.
Crop loss: 20 %
Symptoms:
Factors for spreading the disease
Control measure:
Causal organism : Rhizoctonia bataticola (= Macrophomina phaseolina)
Associated secondary microbes : Fusarium solani/ F. oxysporum/ Botryodiplodia theobromae
Occurrence: Throughout the year in all types of soils especially when the soil moisture and organic matter in soil are low.
Crop loss: 15 % and above depending on the soil health and climate.
Symptoms: Initially the above ground symptom of the disease appears sudden withering of plants and leaves fall off from the bottom of the branches and progressing upwards.
Above ground symptoms of root rot (yellowing/withering of leaves)
Factors for spreading the disease:
Control measure: A target specific new formulation “Navinya” (herbal 80% & chemicals 20%) is used for the control of root rot disease of mulberry
Method of application : Prune off the dried shoots above 15-30 cm from ground. Make shallow ring around stump and apply the Navinya solution made by adding 10 g of Navinya in 1 liter of water (i.e. 1 kg Navinya in 100 liter water; sufficient for 100 plants @ 1 liter/plant). Pour the solution over the pruned stump to drench completely. Cover with soil around the stump to prevent exposure to sunlight. Treat the surrounding mulberry plants also to prevent spreading of the disease.
Occurrence & Symptom : Pink mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) causes deformity symptom in mulberry which is popularly called as Tukra. Leaves become dark green, wrinkled & thickened with shortened inter nodal distance resulting in bunchy top appearance/resetting of leaves. It occurs throughout the year, but severe during summer months. Mulberry leaf yield is reduced by 4,500 kg/ha/yr due to this pest.
Mechanical control:
Clip off the infested portion by secateur, collect in a polythene bag and destroy by burning. This will help in reducing the chances of recurrence of pest. This practice may be followed when the silkworms attain 4th age.
Chemical control: Spray 0.2% DDVP 76% EC (@ 2.63 ml/lit water) 15–20 days after pruning. Safety period: 15 days.
Biological control:
Release predatory lady bird beetles Cryptolaemus montrouzieri @ 250 adult beetles or Scymnus coccivora @ 500 adult beetles in two equal splits at an interval of 6 months.
Availability of predatory lady bird beetles: Pest Management Lab., CSR&TI, Mysore (ph. No.0821-2903285) cost: Rs 120 per unit.
Occurrence & Symptom: The papaya mealy bug, Paracoccus marginatus is an exotic pest which infest a variety of crops such as papaya, guava, teak, vegetables, Jatropha, and weed plants like Parthenium, Sida, Abutilon etc. In mulberry its infestation causes malformation of affected portion, stunted growth of leaf, presence of red/black ants, honey dew secretion, growth of sooty mould, and outright killing of the plant. At present occurrence of papaya mealy bug is sporadic.
Note: Exotic parasitoids are available at National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects (NBAII), ICAR, Bangalore [opp: CBI, Ganganagar, Bangalore; phone no. 080-23511982/98]
Occurrence & Symptom : Incidence of Leaf roller, Diaphania pulverulentalis in mulberry starts with the onset of monsoon. It occurs from June to February but reaches peak during September – October months. The larva binds mulberry leaf blades by silken thread, stay inside & feed. Its feacal matter can be seen below the infested portion.
Mechanical control: Remove the infested portion (along with the larva) by secateur, collect in a polythene bag and destroy by burning.
Biological control : Release Trichogramma chilonis egg parasitoid @ 1 Tricho card/week (for 4 weeks). Do not spray any insecticide after the release of trichogramma parasitoids.
(Note: Tricho cards are available on cost basis at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Suttur, Nanjangud taluk, Mysore dist. or Parasite Breeding Lab., Dept. of Agriculture, [Near DC Office] Mandya)
Occurrence & Symptom : Incidence of Bihar hairy caterpillar, Spilarctia obliqua in mulberry starts with the onset of monsoon. It occurs throughout the year and in certain pockets it appears sporadically. Young larvae are gregariously found feeding on the underside of leaf giving an appearance of mesh and one can make out from distance. Grown up ones are solitary, very active, spread throughout the field and feed voraciously on the foliage.
Mechanical/Physical control: Collect the egg masses or gregarious young caterpillars and destroy by dipping in 0.5% soap solution or by burning.
Chemical control:
Biological control: Release egg parasitoids Trichogramma chilonis @ 1 Tricho card/week for 4 weeks. Do not spray any insecticide after the release of trichogramma parasitoids.
Occurrence & Symptom : Thrips, Pseudodendrothrips mori, is a major pest in Tamil Nadu and minor pest in Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh. It occurs throughout the year and severe during summer (February - April). Both adults and nymphs lacerate the leaf tissues and suck the oozing sap. Affected leaves show streaks in early stages and yellowish/brown blotches in the advanced stage of attack.
Mechanical/Physical control : Use sprinkler irrigation to disturb thrips population & eggs on the underside of mulberry leaves.
Chemical control: Spray 0.1% Rogor (@ 3 ml/lit water) 15 days after pruning. Safety period: 20 days.
Biological control: Release predatory lady bird beetles (Scymnus coccivora @ 500/acre).
The name white fly is derived from the whiter appearance of the adults and their tendency to fly when disturbed. Adults have a pair of floury wings which are usually white with a few veins. In the recent years outbreak of Dialeuropora decempuncta has occurred on mulberry in southern state of Kerala and now observed to severely infest mulberry in the irrigated belt of Karnataka covering Mysore and Mandya districts.
Occurrence & Symptom : The spiraling of waxy material is the typical symptom of white fly attack. Prolonged dry spell followed by the hot humid weather favours the white fly flare up. Occur during the months March-June; October-December. Both nymphs and adults pierce and suck the sap from foliage and the damaged leaf become unfit for silkworm rearing.
Mechanical/Physical control:
Chemical control: Spray 0.076% DDVP (@ 1 ml/lit water) 12 days after pruning (safety period: 10 days) and second spray with 0.05% Rogor 30% EC @ 1.5 ml/lit (safety period: 20 days)
Biological control : Release predatory lady bird beetles Cryptolaemus montrouzieri @ 250 adult beetles or Scymnus coccivora @ 500 adult beetles/acre.
Central Sericulture Research & Training Institute, Mysore, Karnataka
Seedling to maturity.
Seedling to maturity
Seeds should be treated with 3g/kg Thiram or 2g/kg Carbendazim.
Both surfaces of leaf bear black or brown spots with pale green margin. Finally turn brown and falls.
Throughout the crop.
Spray 0.3% Copper oxychloride or 0.25% Mancozeb for 2-3 times.