The State Minister for Agriculture Hon. Fred Bwino Kyakulaga wednesday graced an event that saw the release of Biological Control Agents (BCA), as a pest management strategy to control the Mango mealybug (MMB) in Ntungamo District.
Since 2021 when the deadly mango pest was first reported in the district, efforts geared towards its management have been limited.
With this, the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF) with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has released the biological control agents specifically two parasitoid wasps- Gyranusoidea tebygi and Anagyrus mangicola to control the MMB in the district.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Kyakulaga thanked the three patners FAO, IITA and NARO for extending support to see now that there is a biologically method of managing the pest. He said this is the best approach to managing the mango mealybug because chemical pesticides have proven ineffective over time.
”The Mango mealybug can cause up to 100% yield loss if not handled timely. This pest has a waxy covering substance which protects the pest against any pesticide spray making it extremely difficult to control,” Kyakulaga tipped farmers to adhere to the new biological means to be in position to contain the pest.
According to fact findings from CAB International, mango mealybug affects leaves and deters flowering of fruits, putting many farmers and households at risk of food insecurity and reduced incomes.
The bug feeds on the tree, and produces droppings which make the leaves black and sticky. This lowers the strength of the tree, and its production of mangoes. During heavy attack, a whole part of the tree looks blackish in colour. The insect pest lowers the yield and quality of the mango and can go from one tree to another, if the trees are touching
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