Current Status of Banana Pest Control Research in Jamaica

Plant parasitic nematodes, banana borer W1~evils and various peel-scarring pests together cause an estimated 40% reduction in the yield of bananas in Jamaica. Current research has shown that both nematodes and borers may be adequately controlled by using Mocap. Primicid and Nemacur may be used in the specific control of borers and nematodes respectively_ Among the unregistered, candidate pesticides screened, Miral was found to be effective against both borers and nematodes whereas Tokuthion was found to be as effective as Primicid in the control of bontrs. Of the various pesticides screened in the laboratory, Primicid, Mira I and Mocap were found to be more lethal to banana borers than other chemicals. Of the peel-scarring pests, crickets, grasshoppers, trash worms, Platynota, caterpillars and slugs may be adequately controlled by sleeving. Locally manufactured, non-insecticidal sleeves wem found to be satisfactory substitutes for the imported, insecticidal sleeves. Sleeving also improved bunch weight and fruit quality. Though both Phosvel and Malathion reduced percentage of thrips damage, the use of the former is now considered unsafe while the latter is uneconomical. However the removal of up to two distal hands from two to three week-olld bunches reduced the percentage of thripsdamaged fingers without significant reduction in lbunch weight. Slug baits were found to be more effective when placed in the 'throat' of 'shooting' plants than when placed on the ground. Both laboratory and field investigations on eight cultivars have shown that Valery was the least preferred whereas the tetraploids T 3405-1 and T 168-12 were the more preferred as borer hosts. On the other hand, Valery suffered most damage from flower thrips while tetraploid cultivars suffered the least.