About Whitefly

Context

Recently, the Rugose Spiralling Whitefly, which attacks palms, coconuts, and bananas, has been spotted in Pune city.

Relevance:

GS III: Agriculture

Dimensions of the Article:

1. About Whitefly
2. Attack Mechanism of Whitefly
3. Effects on Coconut Production:

About Whitefly:

• Winged insects with soft bodies, closely related to aphids.
• Tiny, sap-sucking pests that can proliferate in vegetable and ornamental plantings, especially in warm weather.
• Originally found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico, and has spread to 22 other countries in Central and South America.
• Mainly infests coconut palms and other broad-leaved hosts in its native range.
• Considered an invasive insect species.

Attack Mechanism of Whitefly:

• Whiteflies initially target the lower leaves of coconut palms.
• They extract sap from the underside of the leaf, resulting in the secretion of honeydew.
• The honeydew settles on the upper surface of the adjacent lower leaf.
• The presence of honeydew promotes the growth of black, sooty mold.
• Sooty mold is a secondary infection caused by the whitefly infestation.
• The impact on coconut production is severe.
• Reduction in coconut size and decrease in water content are observed.

Effects on Coconut Production:

• Whiteflies have a detrimental effect on coconut crops.
• Reduction in coconut size and quality.
• Decrease in the water content of coconuts.
• Serious implications for coconut yield and production.

-Source: Indian Express