Bio-ecology of coconut eriophyid mite, aceria guerreronis keifer and yield loss due to its infestation on popular coconut cultivars

Abstract

Studies were conducted to understand the biology, ecology, population dynamics and rr .te-host interactions of A. guerreronis and to assess the yield loss on popular cultivars of coconut as influenced by nut characters and weather parameters. An abstract of the work done and the results are given below. Biology of A. guerreronis was studied under both laboratory and field conditions. The study indicated that a total period of 9.8 days was required for completing one generation under laboratory condition. Population dynamics of A. guerreronis in young buttons of susceptible and tolerant palms of variety WeT and Komadan was studied from February 2000 to January 2001. Population of mites under each tepal was counted by using cello tape embedding method. The results revealed that the population was the highest in nuts sampled from fifth bunch followed by fourth and sixth bunches in both susceptible and tolerant palms. The present study indicated that age of developing nut was the most critical factor in the study of population dynamics. Monthly mean population of A. guerreronis was correlated with weather parameters viz., temperature, relative humidity and rainfall prevailed during the time of sampling, probable time of mite entry and the total duration of critical age of the bunch. The results indicated that the relative humidity prevailed at the probable time ofmite entry alone had a positive correlation with population in the susceptible type of Ko mad an. The length to circumference ratio of young nuts and its influence on mite injury was observed. The results showed that round nuts having a length to circumference ratio of

1 :1.90 to 1 :2.29 suffered less damage. The study gave an indication that elongated nuts were more susceptible to mite attack than round ones. The expansion of feeding scar on coconut husk due to mite injury in relation to growth of nuts was studied in young nuts with different degree of injury in terms of number of triangular lesions. The study indicated that the age of buttons / nuts at which the colonization started w~ the most critical factor in deciding whether the nut will finally become economically damaged (category 4 and 5) or not. Yield loss studies were carried out from the nuts obtained from ten consecutive harvests by categorizing them into five damaged categories and the yield loss was calculated by deducting actual yield from potential yield. No significant variation was observed among the five varieties studied, viz. WeT, Komadan, T X YD, Laccadive Ordinary and Dwarf Orange Yield loss in terms of reduction in weight ofcopra ranged from 11 to 39 percentage and reduction in weight of husk ranged from 12 to 40 percentage. Additional labour requirement for de husking infested nuts was studied in a separate experiment. Study revealed that an extra time of 25.05 to 41.75 minutes was required to dehusk 100 damaged nuts over healthy nuts. Another experiment was conducted to assess the effect of mite injury on the quality and quantity of fibre and coir. Husk obtained from fifty harvested nuts representing the damage categories 1 to 5 were subjected to natural retting practices. Fibre obtained from nuts coming under damage category 4 and 5 resulted in 47-53 per cent reduction in length.