Cultural management
- Collect and destroy all the fallen buttons of the
affected palm.
- Grow intercrop (sunhemp four crops/ year) and
shelter belt with Casuarina trees (Oak) all around the coconut garden to
check further entry.
- Providing adequate irrigation.
- Apply urea 1.3 kg, super phosphate 2.0 kg and
muriate of potash @ 3.5 kg/palm/year. Increased quantity is recommended to
increase the plant resistance to the mite.
- Soil application of micro nutrients like, Borax
50 g + gypsum 1.0 kg + Manganese sulphate 0.5 kg/palm/ year.
- Entomofungal pathogen Hirsutella thompsonii and Verticillium
lecanii are reported to be promising in managing the mites.