EntrePinoys Atbp.

Pests and Diseases Management

1. Fruit fly

Damage:  Feeding by the larvae causes yellowing and rolling of the fruit

Management strategies:

• Proper and regular monitoring of the area
• Bag the whole bunch of fruits before maturity to prevent egg laying activity of Ihe adults
• Harvest mature papaya fruits immediately
• Proper disposal of infested fruits
• Use of attractants (pheromones) like methyl eugenol (4-allyH, 2-dimethoxybenzene) for suppression of male population
• Timely application of insecticides such as dimethoate, fenthion and diazinon

2. Aphids

Damage:

• Heavy Infestation may result in yellowing of the leaves and wilting of the plants
• Aphids transmit the Papaya Ring Spot Virus (PRSV)

Management strategies:

• Proper and regular monitoring of the area
• Timely application of insecticides such as cartap hydrochloride, malathion and thiametoxam

3. Red spider mites

• Red spider mites and webbing are visible on the underside of the leaves
• Damaged leaves have yellowish spots
• Heavily infested leaves become yellow but also dry up and result in premature leaf fall

Management strategies:

• Proper and regular monitoring of the area
• Rogue and burn heavily infested plants
• Water the plants profusely to regulate humidity and temperature and reduce the mite population build up during summer or dry months
• Timely application of insecticides/acaricide such as formethanate HCL. dimethoate and profonofos

4. Wilting

Symptoms:

• Stem portion near the soil surface appears water-soaked and rots
• Seedlings fall over and die

Management strategies:

• Use sterilized soil media to avoid occurrence of the disease
• Have a good drainage, aeration and avoid over crowding of plants

5. Phythopthora rot/Blight

Symptoms:

• Small water soaked, discolored spots on ripening fruits
• Infected mature fruits become mummified in the advance stage of the disease

Management strategies:

• Proper disposal of damaged plant parts (burn or bury)
• Good drainage to reduce infection
• Timely application of preventive fungicides such as mancozeb or chlorothalonil

6. Papaya Ring Spot Virus (PRSV)

Symptoms:

• Faint chlorotic spots and green vein banding on the leaves
• Irregular green ring spots on the fruits

Management strategies:

• Crop rotation with non-host plants
• Field sanitation
• Use moderately tolerant varieties like “Sinta Papaya”
• Spray insecticides agamst aphids (see control of aphids)

7. Fusarium fruit rot – Water soaked and sunken lesions on the fruit

Management strategies:

• Proper disposal of damaged plant parts (burn or bury)
• Avoid mechanical damage on gruits to prevent infection

8. Bacterial crown rot

Symptoms:

• Rotting, wilting and collapse of growing points
• Blighting of loaves, petioles and flowers

Management strategies:

• Proper disposal of damaged plant parts (burn or bury)
• Provide good drainage to prevent spread of disease
• Timely application of copper based fungicides such as copper hydroxide and copper oxychlonde

Cost and Return Analysis (for Seeds and Seedlings)

Materials & Labor	Seeds	Seedlings
Bed preparation Maintenance Plastic mulch Staple stakes Cost of Seeds/seedlings Manure Chemicals Fertilizers Total Production Cost Yield (kg) Farmgate Price (kg) Gross returns Net farm Income	12,800 31,030 20,000 2,800 5,467 1,340 18,000 32,542 123,979 52,099 10 520,990 397,011	12,800 27,600 20,000 2,800 20,100 1,340 18,000 32,542 135,182 58,612 10 586,120 450,938

Average yield per plant: 54kg
1. 90% field survival, 80% harvested fruits
2. 90% field survival, 90% harvested fruits

Tips:

Papaya seeds are relatively difficult to germinate. It is ideal to use a sterilized soil medium with good texture. Ready to plant seedlings are recommended because of the following advantages:

• No need to prepare and sterilize a specialized soil medium.
• Can save time, labor, and chemicals needed for seedling establishment.
• Very high survival rate.
• More uniform growth of plants.
• Seedlings are available on a per order basis.

For more information on plant and planting materials, contact:

East-West Seed Co., Inc.
Km. 54 Cagayan Valley Road, Barangay Sampaloc, San Rafael, Bulacan
Tel. Nos.: (044) 766-4952 to 57
Email: marketing.ph@eastwestseed.com

photo from tootoo.com

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