Horticulture

Bark Borer Pest Management in Mango: Symptoms, Treatment, Chemical, Biological, Natural, and Organic Control

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The Mango Bark Borer, Indarbela tetraonis, and Indarbela quadrinotata, belonging to the Family Metarbelidae of the Order Lepidoptera, are also known as Bark Eating Caterpillars. This pest is native to India. The Mango bark borer’s larvae feed on mango tree bark, creating tunnels that can weaken and even kill the tree. The larvae also feed on the phloem and xylem of the tree, reducing the tree’s ability to transport nutrients and weakening it.

Bark Borer Pest Management in Mango

The Mango bark borer can also transmit several diseases, including mango wilt and leaf spot disease, which can further reduce the yield and quality of the fruit produced. To effectively manage this pest, it is important to understand its life cycle, its preferred habitats, and the best methods for controlling it. This article will provide an overview and discussion of the Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango crops, including its symptoms, identification techniques, and control.

Bark Borer Pest Management in Mango

Life Cycle of Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango Crop

The life cycle of the mango bark borer pest has four stages. They are egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The cycle begins when the female bark borer lays eggs in clusters beneath the loose bark of the trees. The eggs hatch into caterpillar larvae within one to two weeks. The caterpillar is the most damaging stage of this pest, during which they feed on the tree’s inner bark and tunnel through the wood in a zig-zag manner in the April-December months.

These larvae produce silken webs on the wood consisting of their excrement and wooden particles. After several weeks of feeding, the larvae pupate in 3-4 months and transform into a pupa in the boreholes. The pupa hatches into an adult moth. The adult moth lays eggs on the bark of the mango tree, and the cycle repeats itself.

Occurrence of Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango Crop

  • Location of Mango Bark Borer pest: This pest infests mango crops in India, Burma, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Australia, and the United States.
  • Host range: The mango bark borers infect crops like Mango, Papaya, Guava, Avocado, Lime, Orange, Litchi, Ber, Pomegranate, Citrus fruits, Loquat, Mulberry, Rose, Bauhinia,ย  and Moringa.

Factors Favoring the Population Increase of Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango Crop

  • Warm temperatures and high humidity create an environment where the pest can thrive and reproduce rapidly.
  • The bark of the mango tree has a high sugar content, providing an excellent food source for the pest.
  • The mango bark borer has a long life cycle, allowing it to reproduce and spread quickly throughout the environment.
  • The mango bark borer is a highly adaptable insect that can quickly adapt to different environmental conditions and survive in dry and wet conditions.
  • The presence of alternate hosts, like oranges, avocados, papayas, etc., allows the pest to build up its population quickly.

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Mango Tree Disease

Identification of Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango Crop

  • Eggs: The eggs are white and oval-shaped and are laid in batches of up to 30.
  • Larvae: The caterpillars are dirty brown, stout, around 0.6 cm long, and legless.
  • Pupa: The pupa is a brown, hard-shelled case 1 cm long.
  • Adults: The adult moth is dull-brown with brown wavy stripes on its forewings. It has a wingspan of about 1.5-2.0 cm. The hindwings are white. Adult females are larger than males of this pest.

Damage Symptoms of Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango Crop

  • The caterpillars bore into the trunk, especially at the branches’ junction, constructing zig-zag galleries and moving in them.
  • The presence of the galleries produced by caterpillars with a composition of silk and frass is the characteristic symptom of this pest.
  • The caterpillars produce webs composed of wooden particles and their excrement, known as webbing.
  • The presence of small holes in the tree’s bark and an accumulation of sawdust around the tree’s base.
  • The caterpillars take shelter in the tunnels during day time and come out at night to feed on the bark.
  • The young mango trees fail to resist the pest attack.

Percentage of Yield Loss in Mango due to Mango Bark Borer Pest

  • In India, the percentage of yield loss due to mango bark borer pests is around 25-30%. In Bangladesh, the losses are about 60-80%. In China, the losses are up to 80%. In the United States, the losses range between 5-40%. In Africa, it is at 40%. In Thailand, the losses are at 70%.
  • The Economic Threshold Level (ETL) for the mango bark borer pest is ten borers per tree.

Cultural Control of Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango Crop

  • Practice planting the crop in well-drained soils, sanitation rotating crops, avoiding monoculture, selectively pruning and removing dead and decaying plant material, selecting resistant mango varieties, and using row covers or mulches.
  • Use an iron spike to poke the boreholes and kill the caterpillars to control the pest.
  • Use yellow sticky traps.
  • Remove alternative hosts like silk cotton, guava, avocado, litchi, etc., to reduce the pests’ intensity.

Biological Control of Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango Crop

  • Natural predators, like ladybugs, lacewings, and predatory wasps, are commonly used to control this pest.
  • Predatory mite, Amblyseius swirskii, used against the mango bark borer. It feeds on the larvae of the mango bark borer by sucking out the body fluids, killing them.
  • Parasitic wasps such as Bracon hebetor, B. brevicornis, and B. flaviceps lay their eggs on the larvae of the mango bark borer, and the hatched larvae feed on the larvae, killing them.

Chemical Control of Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango Crop

  • Use Copper Oxychloride Paste or Spray Monocrotophos, Carbofuran, or Inject Ethylene Glycol and Kerosene solution in each borehole and plug with mud to control the caterpillars of the pest.
  • Use Fumigants like Celphos tablet (3 grams Aluminium Phosphide), Petrol, Kerosene, and Chloroform to drive the caterpillars out of the boreholes.

Preventive Measures for Control of Mango Bark Borer Pest in Mango Crop

  • Neem oil can be used to repel adult beetles and inhibit egg-laying.
  • Neem cake, a powdery substance made from the seed kernels of the neem tree, can also be used to reduce larval infestation.
  • Practice regular crop monitoring to identify the pest at early stages and keep them under control.

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Mango Farming

Conclusion

The mango bark borer is a serious pest that can cause significant damage to mango crops. Farmers must be aware of the symptoms and take preventive and corrective measures to protect their crops. Integrated pest management techniques, such as resistant varieties and natural predators, are recommended to help reduce the risk of infestation and limit the damage caused by the mango bark borer.

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Author: Reddy

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