Pathogen x climate interaction studies revealed that rainfall, minimum temperature and relative humidity (RH-I and II) had a positive correlation with the late leaf spot (Phaeoisariopsis personata) and rust (Puccinia arachidis) diseases of groundnut.
Deep summer ploughing with mould board plough + soil application of Trichoderma @ 4kg / ha enriched in 250 kg FYM / ha + seed treatment with Tebuconazole 2DS @ 1.5 g / kg seeds followed by PGPR @ 625 g per ha seeds + soil application of Trichoderma @ 4kg / ha (enriched in 250 kg FYM / ha at 35 and 70 DAS) significantly reduced the soil borne disease (stem rot).
Seed treatment with Mancozeb @ 2 g/ kg + Hexaconazole 0.1% spray at 60 and 75 DAS is recommended for the management of rust and late leaf spot diseases of groundnut.
Seed treatment with Propiconazole at 2 ml/kg seed is recommended for the management of groundnut root rot disease.
Soil application of microbial consortia consisting of Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma viride @ 300 g + FYM @ 5 kg / palm at quarterly intervals was found to be effective in reducing the leaf blight disease incidence in coconut.
IDM package (soil application of Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf1, root feeding of carbendazim @ 2 %, spraying of copper oxy chloride during summer months together with excess application of potassic fertilizer) for the management of leaf blight disease was developed and demonstrated in farmers’ holdings.
Minimum inhibitory concentration of carbendazim against the coconut leaf blight pathogen Lasiodiplodia theobromae at 50 ppm, propiconazole @ 250 ppm, tebuconazole @ 1000ppm, penconazole @ 1250 ppm and Tebuconazole+ Zineb @ 2% +75 % WP at 1500 ppm under in vitro conditions was observed.
Root feeding of tebuconazole @ 2 % for 3 times at 3 month interval was found to be effective in reducing the leaf blight disease intensity.
Incidence of a new invasive Rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW), Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin was noticed in coconut during August 2016, in Anaimalai block, Coimbatore Dt., Tamil Nadu. Parasitisation by Encarsia guadeloupae was observed to an extent of 78.2 per cent at Kaliyapuram village, Anaimalai block, Coimbatore dt., subsequently leading to biosuppression of the RSW. Pesticide holiday has been declared in Tamil Nadu against RSW on coconut.
Spraying of Azadirachtin TS @ 1% i.e. 10,000 ppm @ 5 ml + Sandovit 1ml / litre of water followed by release of improved strains of two larval parasitoids braconids, bethylids and pupal parasitoid chalcid @ 20:10:1 at 21 days interval for six times show significant effect on reduction of Opisina arenosella population in coconut.
IPM strategies viz., placement of naphthalene balls @ 10 g/palm, pheromone lures@ 1/ ha, spraying green muscardine fungi in manure pits @ 5 X 1011 spores/ m3 and release of baculovirus affected adult beetles @ 15/ha, for the management of rhinoceros beetle in coconut were standardized.
Cowdung manure, manure pits, coir pith waste, vermicompost units, palms dead/ felled due to thunder & lightning, stem bleeding, sites, palm crowns and trunks attacked by red palm weevil, etc. were found to house different life stages of rhinoceros beetles. Chlorpyriphos 1.5% DP and chlorantraniliprole 0.4% GR insecticides along with 100-150 gram of sand are effective in reducing the leaf and spindle damage as effective as phorate 10G insecticide.
