Mealy bug (Planococcus spp)

Symptoms

• Mealybugs feed on sap from young leaves, stems, and tubers.
• Leaves that are heavily attacked turn yellow and eventually dry out.
• Mealybugs produce honeydew, on which sooty mould develops
• Reduces photosynthesis and this can make leaves fall off and lower the value of the tuber in the market.

Management

• Spray neem garlic emulsion (20 ml neem oil + 20 gram garlic paste + 5 gram bar soap/litre of water).
• Spray Lecanicillium lecanii (synonym Verticillium lecanii) (20 g/litre of water).