Causal organism: Melanaspis glomerata
- Waterlogging, high temperature and humidity favour build-up of scale insect population.
- Rainwater and high wind velocity facilitate dispersal of the pest.
- It spreads to new areas through seed material.
- Men and animals passing through the infested fields also lead to spread of the pest to the adjoining areas.
- The yield loss could range from negligible to total crop failure.
- Scales usually establish on internodes covered with leaf sheath.
- The leaves of infested canes show signs of tip drying and unhealthy pale green colour and with continued infestation these turn yellow.
- Desapping leads to non-opening of leaves also, which also turn yellow and finally dry up.
- Nodal region is more infested than internodal region.
- Infested crop losses its vigour, canes shrivel, growth is stunted and the internodal length is reduced drastically.
- Ultimately cane dries up. Such canes when slit open appear brownish red.
Submitted by kanchannainwal1 on Wed, 19/08/2009 - 11:25