A case study of insect pests responsible for mass citrus decline in Manipur and their control remedies

 The  present  study  revealed  that  the  trunk  borer  (high),  the  leaf miner  (low),  citrus  psylla (medium),  red  scale  (low),  mealy  bugs  (low),  lemon  butterfly  (low),  black  fly  (medium),  fruit  sucking moth  (low),  citrus  looper  (low)  and  black  aphids  (medium)  were  witnessed  as  important  insect  pests  of Mandarin  orange  in  Manipur.  These  pests  significantly  attribute  towards  the  citrus  decline  in  the  state. Further  the  results  indicated  that  management  of  these  insect  pests,  diagnosis  of  the  causes  of  citrus decline,  the  rejuvenation  schedule  could  be  formulated  with  multi-displinary  approaches  like  proper 
spacing,  sanitation,  regulate  the  vegetative  growth  by  proper  scheduling  of  irrigation  and  fertilizer application,  growing  curry  leaf  (Murraya  koenigii)  plant  as  collateral  host  in  the  vicinity  of  citrus orchards  since  it  acts  as  breeding  site  for  psylla,  removal  of  water  shoots  regularly  to  restrict  leaf miner,  black  fly,  incidence  since  it  survives  on  these  water  shoots  during  off  season,  placing  yellow sticky  traps  whitefly,  black  fly  &  leaf  miner  control,  sticky  bands  on  the  trunk  portion  of  the  tree  to prevent  the  climbing  of  mealy  bug  crawlers,  raking  of  tree  basins  during  April-May  exposes  fruit  fly pupae  to  harsh  climate  and  natural  enemies,  followed  by  application  of  either  T, Zorba  (fenbucarb 20%  +  buprofezin  5%)  25  SE  @  30  ml/I5  litres  of  water  +  Fish  water  to  attract  predatory  ant  + smoking  with  agronomic  practices  &  ITK,  T,=  Tabuz (buprofezin  15%  +  acephate  35%)  50  WP  @  30 ml/15  litres  of water  +  fish water to  attract  predatory  ant  +  smoking  with  agronomic  practices  &  ITK, T,_Acephate  70  SP @  30  gm  @ 30 ml/15  litres  of water  +  fish  water  to  attract  predatory ant  +  smoking with  agronomic  practices  & ITK and  T,.Thiamethoxam  75  WG  @  30/15  litres  of water  +  fish water to attract  predatory  ant  +  smoking  with  agronomic  practices  &  ITK  with  a  record  of  high, moderate, moderate  and  moderate  effectiveness,  Tespectively,  three  times  first  at  young  flush  during  Spring (February-March),  2"  during  Summer  (June-July)  and  3°  during  Winter  (October-November)  with combination  of  fish  water  to  attract  predatory  ant  +  smoking  with  ITK  (Indigenous  Technical Knowledge)  and  agronomic  practices  which  can  be  used  to  check  citrus  decline  in  NE  region  in 
general  and  Manipur  in  particular  recording  high  and  moderate  effectiveness  against  the  major  insect pests  of citrus.