Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Pests and diseases

 
Pests
• Among the pests attacking the curry leaf, the caterpillar of citrus butterfly (Papilio demoleus) is very important. Early instar larvae are dark with white patches resembling the droppings of birds. When grown up, they turn deep green in colour, stout and cylindrical in shape. Hand picking and destruction of the larvae can be done wherever possible. If the population is heavy, an insecticide like Malathion (0.1%), which has less mammalian toxicity, can be sprayed.
• The branches affected by citrus psylla (Diaphorina citri), aphids and scale insect (Anoidiella orientalis) have to be removed immediately. If necessary a systemic insecticide like Dimethoate (Rogar) can be sprayed at 0.1% concentration. But the leaves should not be harvested for atleast 20-25 days. The stem (bark) borer (Indorbela tetraonis) is reported to cause drying of the branches occasionally and mites are also found to infest the leaves, for which no control measures have been suggested.
• The nymphs and adults of Dasynus antennatus are reported to infest the growing tips of the branches and cause the drying of young leaves, adversely affecting the growth of the plants. The other pests of curry leaf include black fly (Aleurocanthus woglumi), leaf roller (Tonica zizyphi), tartoise beetle (Silana farinosa), citrus leaf miner (Phyllocnistis citrella), leaf weevils (Myllocerus discolor, M.viridanus), hairy caterpillars, coreid bugs and termites.

Diseases
Leaf-spot (Phyllosticta murrayae and Cylindrosporium sp.) is a serious disease of curry leaf which causes severe defoliation. Carbendazim (1%) or Mancozeb (2%) could be sprayed 15 days prior to harvest to control this disease.
Sap-rot (Fomes pectinatus) and collar-rot of seedlings (Rhizoctonia solani) are the other diseases, but the economic loss due to these diseases are minimal. The spraying of Sulphur compounds should be avoided since it results in leaf shedding.
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