Measures must to avoid pest attacks in mango orchards

Puttaparthi: With mango orchards across Sri Sathya Sai district currently in the flowering stage, farmers should take timely precautionary measures to prevent pest and disease attacks, District Horticulture Officer Chandrashekar said on Tuesday.

He stated that under the prevailing weather conditions, orchards are vulnerable to powdery mildew, hoppers, and other sap-sucking pests, which could severely affect flowering and fruit set if not controlled in time. As per the directions of District Collector A Shyam Prasad, the Horticulture Department has been creating awareness among farmers and issuing field-level advisories. Explaining control measures, Chandrasekhar said powdery mildew infestation leads to ash-like deposits on flower stalks, resulting in poor fruit formation. To control it, farmers are advised to spray Hexaconazole at 2 ml per litre of water. If mango hoppers or other sucking pests are noticed, spraying Imidacloprid at 0.5 ml per litre, or Thiamethoxam at 0.3 grams per litre, or Ethiprole at 1.5 ml per litre of water is recommended. He cautioned farmers not to undertake pesticide spraying when flowering has reached around 75 per cent and no pest incidence is observed.

In cases where fruit drop occurs at the marble, pea, or sorghum grain stage, farmers should spray Planofix at 3 ml per 10 litres of water to reduce fruit shedding.