Coconut (Cocos nucifera ) is one of Sri Lanka’s three major export crops, bringing home a total revenue of US$537.62 million in 2014. Known for its great versatility, the coconut tree is one of the most important plants in Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan lifestyle has been inextricably intertwined with the Coconut tree, not just for the milk, water, and oil-giving nuts, but for the leaves, the trunk, and the fibrous husk that surrounds the coconut. There is no part of the coconut tree that goes to waste in a Sri Lankan household. There are three types of coconuts in Sri Lanka: tall coconuts, dwarf coconuts, and King coconuts.According to figures published in December 2018 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, it is the world’s fourth largest producer of coconuts, producing 2,623,000 tonnes in 2018. Because of the value of the coconut in Sri Lanka, it is named “Kapruka", which means the crop gives every wish.
In all but the upper elevations of Sri Lanka, coconut palms are found. It is a demanding, sturdy, and light tree. In the triangle created by Puttalam, Kurunegala, and Gampaha, the coconut is primarily found. The Coconut-Triangle is the name given to the region in which these three settlements are located.
Figure 1 - Coconut tree
Coconut Whitefly (Aleurodicus cocois) damage
This insect is known in Sri Lanka by various names, such as powdery mildew, whitefly, and white bug. About 1 mm in length, this pest lives in herds, sucking the sap of various plants. In addition to coconut, the insect attacks plants such as bitter gourd, watermelon, snake gourd, belonging to the Cucurbitaceae and peanut, cowpea, and beans, belonging to the Leguminosae, also being affected. In addition, it acts as a carrier of viruses or fungi and causes huge damage. At higher temperatures, their activity is somewhat stronger.
This white-colored insect penetrates the leaflets of coconut seedlings and mature coconut trees and then damages the coconut plant by sucking the sap out of them. They belong to the phylum Arthropoda class and have four basic stages in the life cycle. On the underside of the leaves of the coconut tree, many stages of the life cycle of this insect can be seen with the naked eye.
Figure 2 - white fly (๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ค๐ฐ๐ช๐ด)
Control of white fly damage
There are two methods recommended by the CRI to control the coconut white fly attack.
The first method is the physical method. In this method, manual removal has to be done. Application of pressurized water to wash away the underside of the leaves well also removes the white flies.
Because these white flies are drawn to yellow, using yellow polythene with grease applied is another strategy for population control.
The second method is the chemical method, and in this method, the application of recommended chemicals can be done. For instance, the application of a dissolved solution of 3g of Thiamethoxam or 20ml of carbosulfan or 2.5 g of an insecticide containing chlorantraniliprole in 10 liters of water, using a sprayer, thoroughly wets the underside of the leaves of the plant.
References
https://www.srilankabusiness.com/blog/multiple-products–made-from-coconut-tree.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-5
Image courtesy
Featured image –ย https://m.indiamart.com/proddetail/detergent-surf-for-palm-tree-and-coconut-trees-for-white-fly-effect-21836262973.html
Figure 1 –ย https://www.srilankabusiness.com/blog/multiple-products–made-from-coconut-tree.html
Figure 2 – https://goodhands.lk/coconut-whitefly-damage-aleurodicus-cocois/