Insects, pests add to cashew units' woes

As such the cashew yield is insufficient to meet the increasing demand for its processing units, on top of which the pest menace has further worsened the problem, affecting productivity of cashew plantations in Goa.

A total of 54-hectare land in the state is under cashew cultivation, the output of which comes to 21,000 tonne annually. However, the output is inadequate to keep the cashew processing units running.

"Pest problem in the cashew plantations have taken to a greater proportion in the last few years," said J R Faleiro, senior scientist at the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) to Business Standard.

There are 80 types of insects affecting the cashew trees. Two varieties of pests, Cashew Root and Stem Borer (CRSR), and Cashew Tea Mosquito Bug (CTMB), which are prominently found also cause the cashew trees a great deal of harm. Faleiro explains, "Detection of CRSR is a big problem. The grub of this pest feeds on the inner tissue of the root and stem; so it is hardly visible on the surface."

Further on, he added, "If the disease spreads to one per cent of the plant, it can kill the plant." The other pest, CTMB sucks sap from tender shoots, leaves, inflorescence and tender apples and nuts. Apparently, grafts are more susceptible to any kind of attack by pests.

However, in multi-cultured cultivation, which are found in the forest areas, problem of pests are less prevalent. "Environmental changes are to a great extent responsible for the pest problem," said Faleiro.

He advised the farmers not to rely on biological control of the pests, as it is less effective than chemical control and emphasised on the point that farmers should take preventive measures.

In organic farming, emphasis is only on biological pest management. But according to Faleiro, the biological pest management practice is not so effective and if followed, it has to be repeated with technical support, he said.