Symptoms: Small insects with an outer black, dome-shaped covering, occur on leaflets, petioles and tender shoot portions and suck the sap. Severely affected portions dry up and die. Ants and sooty mould are associated with this.

Management: Spray organophosphorus insecticides like malathion at 0.05% concentration.

Mealy bug (Ferrisiana virgata Ckli)

Symptoms: These are soft-bodied small insects with white mealy outer covering. Damage is similar to scale insects.

Management: Spray organophosphorus insecticides or fish oil rosin soap.

Termite (white ant) (Odontotermes obesus Rambar)

Symptoms: Termites feeds on the dead bark of trees and young plants and build covered passageways of soil on the tapping panel and collection cup. Young plants dry up due to attack.

Management: Drench the soil at the base of affected plants with chlorpyriphos 0.1% solution. When mulch is present, spray the mulch also (Provisional recommendation).

Cockchafer grub (Holotrichia Serrata F., H. rufoflava Brenske and Anomala varians Ol.)

Symptoms: The grub feeds on the roots of seedlings in the nursery and young plants. The affected plants droop and fall over.

Management: Appropriate control measures may be adopted after identifying the pest.(Refer: Rubber Research Institute of India, Kottayam)

Bark feeding caterpillar (Aetherastis circulata Meyr. and Ptochoryctis rosaria Meyr)

Symptoms: The caterpillars build galleries with faecal matter and silk all over the trunk region and branches of trees. They generally feed on dead bark and occasionally on live bark causing exudation of latex. Deep scar is found at the regions of feeding.

Management: When the infestation is severe, apply Sevin 5% at the rate of 10 kg per ha or Ekalux 1.5% or Fenval 0.4% dust at the rate of 7 kg per ha (provisional recommendation) with a power duster.

Mite (Hemitarsonemus dorsalis)

Symptoms: These are minute organisms with four pairs of legs. They suck the sap from the leaves resulting in crinkling and shedding.

Management: Dust sulphur or spray suitable acaricides like Kelthane.

Slug and snail (Mariaellae dussumieri Grey and Crytozona (Xestina) bistralis Beck)

Symptoms: They feed on latex by lacerating the tender leaves and buds. Growth of affected buds is arrested and side shoots develop giving a bunchy appearance. Slugs drink latex from the tapping cut and collecting cup also.

Management: Broadcast 2.5% Metaldehyde bait pellets or distribute Meta briquettes on the ground in infested areas or paint the base of the stem with Metaldehyde. Spraying Metaldehyde 0.05% or 0.1% one-day-old suspension in the infested area will be more effective than broadcast. Sprinkle Temik 10G granules in the infested area at the base of plants. To repel slugs and snails brush Bordeaux paste 10% around the stem above the bud union to a length of 30 cm. Repeat the application after 30-45 days if the attack continues.

Rat (Bandicota indica Bech, Bandicota bengalensis Gray and Rattus meltada Gray)

Symptoms: They feeds on kernels of seeds sown in germination bed. In young plants they gnaw the roots and the plants dry up.

Management: Distribute baits of poisons of zinc phosphide with an attractive food like tapioca pieces or bait cakes of these poisons prepared with wax in different regions of the affected areas. Fumigate the rat holes with cyanogas and close all the outlets with clay. Temik 10G is also good bait poison for rats. Bromodiolone 0.005% a.i. bait is also found to be very effective. It is a single dose anticoagulant need be fed by the rats, only once.

Porcupines and wild pigs

Symptoms: They pull out young plants and feed on the taproot. They debark basal portions of young plants and trees.

Management : Baiting with poisons like zinc phosphide or Temik 10G with an attractive food for porcupine, salted tapioca, and for wild pigs tapioca or sweet potato. Shoot or trap these animals.

Cover crop pests (Pagria signata, Eucomatocera vittata, Maruca testulalis, Blasticorhinus rivulet, Tiracola plagiata)

Symptoms: Various pests attack the cover crops, especially Pueraria. The damage at early stage of establishment can be severe. Mucuna is fed by T. plagiata.

Management : Spray Sevin 0.05% at 15 days interval.