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Disease and pest management of cashew nut trees
If you want to know detailed information about insect pests and control measures of cashew nuts, you can read the article carefully.
This article also discusses control measures for tip blight and stem and root borers. Besides, several other important topics have been discussed in detail, if you want to know them, please read the article.
Processing & marketing of cashew nuts
After harvesting, some of the fruits are treated with special care to make them suitable for consumption. Shelling of cashew nuts is done in the factory. There are more than 100 such factories near Quilon (Tribankur-Cochin), Mangalore and Tanjore in Madras State, Odisha and a few in Kanthi and Jhargram areas of Midnapore. Three types of useful substances are obtained from three different parts of the cashew nut. Namely:
- (1) Cashew apple: The soft red part above the hard opening of the fruit is called cashew apple. After ripening it has a bitter sweet taste. It is used in herbal industry or to make beverages.
- (2) Hard Shell: There is a hard shell above the seed. An oil is obtained from it and it is used in various industries.
- (3) Nut (Kernel): The inner part of the opening is the nut. The nut is extracted by cracking open the hard shell. Nuts are very valuable as food. The oil contained in cashew nuts skin causes wounds.
So special measures have to be taken to extract or destroy the oil before extracting the nuts. Shelling of cashew nuts is done through several processes. For example: scalding, scalding in hot sand or in an iron pan or clay bone.
Disease and pest management of cashew nut trees
Die back or pink disease C.O. Corticum salmonicolor (Pellicularia salmonicolor)
This fungal disease of cashew is seen during monsoon.
Symptoms
White spots are first seen on the bark of the affected branches of the tree. Later the bark loosens. The branches of the tree turn red and later the affected branches and buds may dry out from above. The disease gradually spreads downwards.
Control measures of dry tip disease
- 1. The affected branch should be cut and burnt. Bordeaux paste should be applied on the cut part.
- 2. Before monsoon and after monsoon the plants should be sprayed with one percent boddomishra or copper oxy-chloride like Blytox (rate: 5 gm/l water).
Inflorescence blight C.O. Gloeosporium mangiferae.
The prevalence of this disease in cashew nuts is higher in cloudy weather. Affected plants dry up. Infected cashew apples first turn dark green and then rot.
Control measures of flower rot disease
Diseased parts should be cut and burned and all plants should be sprayed with fungicides (eg Blytox).
Insect pests and control measures of cashew nuts
Stem & root borer: Scientific name: Plocaederus ferugineus
It is a pest of cashew nut.
Nature of damage
The grubs hatch from the eggs and penetrate the stems and roots and gnaw the insides. As a result, there is difficulty in the movement of plant food. Small leaks are seen near the ground of the plant. Infected leaves turn yellow and fall off. The branches wither and then the tree dies.
Control measures for stem and root borers
- 1. If there is a leak in the trunk of the tree, it is necessary to close the leak by applying kerosene on cotton.
- 2. Application of Phoretox granules (10 g per plant) or zinc phosphide (1-2 tablets per plant) in the trunk of the plant also kills the insect. Moreover, they can also be suppressed by applying granular drugs (such as furadon, phorate, thimate, etc.) at the base of the plant.
- 3. If the insect attack is severe, the tree cannot be saved. In this case, it is better to cut and destroy the affected tree.
Leaf miner: Scientific name: Acrocercops syngramma.
The attack of this insect is seen when new leaves appear on the cashew tree. This insect larvae tunnels under the young leaf sheath and causes great damage to the leaves.
Control measures for leaf-boring insects
2 ml of fenitrothion (eg Sumithion-50 E-C, Folithion etc.) or endosulfan (eg Thiodan 35 E-C etc.) in every liter of water should be sprayed on the plants at the time of emergence of young leaves.
Leaf eating caterpillar
Scientific name: Cricula trifenestrata.
The caterpillars of this pest eat the leaves of the cashew tree and eradicate it. Only the stems of the affected plants remain and the plants appear stunted.
Leaf-eating insect control method
2 ml of fenitrothion (eg Sumithion-50 E-C, Folithion etc.) or endosulfan (eg Thiodan 35 E-C etc.) in every liter of water should be sprayed on the plants at the time of emergence of young leaves.
Varieties of cashew nuts
Cashew nuts do not have specific cultivar variations. However, some hybrids have been created at present. Namely: H-3-17, H-3-19, H-4-7, H-3-7, H-3-12, No-5, 11,