malvernmugadzikwa
Online Reporter
TOBACCO farmers should be on the lookout for mealybugs — pests — that could adversely affect their crop yield, Kutsaga has said.
In a statement, the parastatal said: “This season (2023-24), sporadic incidences have been reported from Mt Darwin, Shamva, Mhangura and Manicaland.
“An integrated pest management approach is necessary for the effective management of mealybugs on tobacco. Tobacco growers are encouraged to adhere to the recommended cultural practices that have been successfully used to manage pests and diseases, such as following the ideal crop rotations, agrochemical rotation schemes and stipulated planting and sowing dates.”
Farmers were also encouraged to regularly scout their fields and report any unfamiliar trends that may be caused by climate change.
Mealybugs feed by sucking phloem sap from leaves, which causes them to yellow, wilt and dry.
Although they were initially considered to be a cotton pest, mealybugs were first reported to in tobacco during the 2019-2020 season.
Bongani Ndlovu