An exotic wasp imported from Africa has been released in Kerala to tackle a destructive mealybug which wreaks havoc on cassava (tapioca) crop. The parasitoid wasp is a natural enemy of the Phenacoccus manihoti, more commonly known as the ‘cassava mealybug.’
The ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR), Bengaluru, in collaboration with ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram, and the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), released Anagyrus lopezi, the parasitoid wasp, for controlling the mealybug.
On a grant of limited-area release permit in Kerala by the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (DPPQ&S), Government of India, the first field release of the parasitoid in Kerala was done at Madakkathara village in Thrissur recently. The cassava mealybug is ‘‘a devastating insect pest’‘ whose presence in India was first reported from Thrissur in 2020, the CTCRI said.
