How to manage White fly in the fields

Expert Articles

FarmRise Team, Aug 12, 2020

Whitefly is among the most important sucking pests in India. It transmits numerous diseases like Yellow Mosaic and Leaf Curl Virus. Whitefly insects suck the sap from the leaf causing them to turn yellow and dry. The quality of the final harvested produce will be less due to whitefly damage.

How to identify Whitefly:

The adult whitefly is a soft-bodied, insect with wings covered with powdery wax. The body is light yellow in color. Immature whiteflies are yellowish-white and normally found on the undersides of leaves; they look like, and are sometimes called “scales”. Whitefly secretions encourage the growth of black colored sooty mould, which slows plant growth when it occurs on leaves and causes marked fruits.

How to control whitefly :

There are several methods to control whiteflies:

Control of alternate hosts:

The whitefly has many other host plants and has been recorded in a very wide range of cultivated and wild plants. As per literature whitefly can survive on more than 500 different types of plants belonging to 74 families. Maintenance of good field sanitation by removing the crop residues of previous crop and weeds in the field is an effective practice against the whiteflies. Farmers can also use herbicides to control weedy host plants on surrounding bunds where the main crop is not planted.

Yellow Sticky traps :

Yellow Sticky cards can be useful in controlling the whitefly population in greenhouses effectively. It is very useful to establish yellow sticky traps in the fields so that farmers can know how the population is building up. Even these yellow traps can be locally prepared by farmers with yellow charts or cardboard paper with sticky substances.

Biological control :

Biological control of this pest is often used in a greenhouse with much success and is more practical. The application of fungal microbial insecticides will help to reduce the infestation of whiteflies. Many commercial formulations were available in the market with Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. These biopesticides can be used as stand-alone products in organic farming or can be alternated with chemical fungicides. Additional advantages of biopesticides include a reduced pre-harvest interval and fewer residues on crops. Apart from these products neem-based products like 1% neem seed kernel extract can be used as repellent and antifeedant for whiteflies.

Protect beneficial insects and spiders:

Natural enemies including lacewings,spiders, and ladybird beetles attack whitefly If you find these beneficial insects , it’s a good sign that whitefly natural enemies are active . You can encourage natural enemy populations by minimizing more toxic insecticides and reducing indiscriminate sprays.

Growing tolerant varieties :

As whiteflies transmit viruses in various crops, it would be desirable to select virus tolerant varieties. Farmers can choose these hybrids before planting so that the damage will be less. Some studies also indicate that the whitefly population’s development is less on smooth varieties. But smooth leaf varieties are more preferred by jassids, farmers have to take care of jassids and control with insecticides if their population is building up.

Chemical control :

Follow the recommended schedule with Oberon - Sivanto Prime and Movento Energy combination at 10 to 15 days interval. The insecticides should be used at the early infestation stage for the best results. Coverage of the foliage for better protection is very important for better penetration and long duration protection. First Spray can be done with Oberon, Oberon (Spiromesifen 240 SC) is active against all the developmental stages of whiteflies resulting in long-lasting control. For effectivity apply when nymphal stages appear on the leaves at a dose of 200 ml per acre. The next dose has to be sprayed Sivanto Prime (Flupyradifurone 200 SL) at the dose of 300 ml per acre. This chemical is a systemic insecticide and selective against a broad range of sucking pests, including whiteflies. The third spray has to be given with Movento Energy (Spirotetramat 11.01% + Imidacloprid 11.01% (240 SC) at the dose of 250 ml per acre, this chemical has two-way systemic insecticide it translocates in the xylem as well as the phloem tissues.

Precautions:

While spraying insecticides please follow label instructions and only apply insecticides with the prescribed dose on the crop. Avoid contact directly with the product. Please Wear personal protective equipment. Unprotected persons must be kept away. Do not allow the undiluted product to come into contact with the skin.

Conclusion:

For the management of whiteflies use the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) method which means a combination of different strategies to control pests. Apart from this healthy and strong plants can withstand whitefly attack better than those weakened by diseases, please maintain adequate nutrition and do not apply high nitrogenous fertilizers.

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