Integrated Management of the Pink Mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera : Pseudococcidae) Causing ′Tukra′in Mulberry

In India, mulberry (Morus spp.), the sole food plant of the silkworm, Bombyx mori (Linn.), is prone to infestation by the pink mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green). Infestation by this pest causes apical shoot malformation, popularly known as 'tukra'. Occurrence of tukra causes an appreciable reduction in leaf yield and quality, leading to low silkworm cocoon productivity. For management of M. hirsutus (Tukra), an IPM package comprising mechanical, chemical and biological measures was demonstrated in the mulberry gardens of five Government Silk Farms in Mysore District (Karnataka, India) during 1995-96. A suppression of 76.0% in tukra incidence and 90.19% in mealybug population was recorded by employ the IPM package which led to an estimated 4,000 kg recovery in leaf yield/ha/year. The impact of IPM package in the management of M. hirsutus, the role of biocontrol agent (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Muls.) in pest suppression and the cost-benefit analysis of the IPM package are discussed.