Cultural & Biological Control Tips For Banana Weevil Management

The banana weevil, also known as Cosmopolites sordidus, is a very dangerous pest known to attack banana plantations. This weevil can attack the plantation and prevent the establishment of the crops. Many farmers have seen significant reductions in crop yield when this dangerous pest attacks their plantations. The weevils place their eggs in the rhizome or leaf sheaths at the base of banana plants that, after hatching, soak the nutrition of the plants very quickly. It is essential to know the best control strategies by using metarhizium anisopliae to tackle the weevil attacks by keeping an eye on the soil quality and the environment’s future while planning banana weevil control. Know banana weevil damage symptoms and tackle this disease strongly!

Effective cultural and biological control strategies to tackle banana weevil attack

Cultural banana weevil control

• The use of clean planting material is a must. It helps the farmers reduce the scope of attack by banana weevils. When there is an initial infestation of banana weevils, always ensure that the planting materials are kept very clean before the next few plantings. 
• Keep the banana plants far from the source of weevils because being closer to the proximity ensures lower yields and profits for the farmers.
• Trapping is a method that has been preferred as a preventive measure to tackle the attacks by banana weevils. 
• Hot water treatment can be used to attack the banana weevils before they attack the whole crops.

Biological banana weevil control

Banana weevil control is not a headache if the farmers know the right methods. Once you understand banana weevil life cycle, you can understand how to control it properly. Biological control is highly preferred because it offers the benefits of a cultural method that is eco-friendly and also the benefits of a chemical method of quickly killing the weevils. Products like MET Zone are preferred by farmers who have tried them regularly. Its active ingredient is Metarhizium anisopliae, and it has been beneficial for soil and plantations. Unlike chemical methods, this control method ensures that the soil holds the nutrition for a long time with proper banana weevil management.

Sarah Kamara’s Case in Banana Farming 

Sarah Kamara is a hardworking farmer from Kijana Village, located in Masaka District, Uganda where she practices crop production of beans, Irish potatoes, cowpeas and Bananas. Her major concern is bananas as they are her major source of income. Over ten years now she has been practicing banana farming but she has had a constant problem with a pest called “ekiwuka. ” 

 This pest is especially dangerous for banana plants by boring holes on the pseudo stems and corms making tunnels that become black and seriously damaging the corms to rot. Whenever the corms begin to decay, Maggots and newly hatched weevils can also be observed in them by Sarah. The fact leads to the roots of the banana plants to rot and turn to desiccation hence young plants get weakened and eventually die. Affected plants develop much smaller panicles and are somewhat more affected by drought and wind. 

Because of this pest infection, the production of bananasOWN reduced from 500 bunches to 300 bunches in the case of Sarah. None of the concoctions this pest woman could concoct in a bid to kill the insects worked, neither the pesticides, the repellents, ash among other things she used. As a step to shift to the environmentally friendly approaches in managing pest, Sarah may consider Novobac’s bio-solutions; Metarhizium anisopliae insecticide and MET Zone. 

 It is friendly to the environment and is in harmony with current Integrated Pest Management because it is a natural fungus particular for pests such as the Banana weevil. Its efficiency rises to the top, and thus we denote the formation of an ideal environment for fighting pests, known as MET Zone. 

 She can locate Novobac solutions through an online search, seeking help from the company’s specialists, or learning more at agricultural fairs that showcase Novobac products. Communicating with other farmers that utilize bio-solutions can also be very resourceful. The above options will assist Sarah to change and adopt right practices together with efficient pest control of banana crops. 

This destroys the weevils and nematodes so that the corms remain virtually free from these pests for planting. Banana weevil pesticide should be taken with proper knowledge about it.

Bio-Solution with Novobac 

We recommend more farmers, like Sarah Kamara, source bio-solutions for their farms from Novobac, including Metarhizium anisopliae insecticide and MET Zone. Based on Sarah’s experience, here’s how to apply these products:

Metarhizium anisopliae Insecticide: 

This bio insecticide applies a single fungus that attacks and infects pests such as banana weevils. Dustings attach themselves onto the pests and burrow into their bodies and after sometime, will have killed the pests.  

Application: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prepare the Metarhizium anisopliae insecticide solution and mix it with water. Pour the insecticide mixture on the banana plants, focusing on the pseudo stems and corms. This application targets the areas where pests are most likely to be found. Refer to Novobac guidelines to know when to reapply the formula to the surfaces. 

MET Zone: 

MET Zone helps in improving the properties of the soil that in turn help in the growth and activity of the Metarhizium anisopliae. 

Application: Banano − When planting the banana suckers, it is advisable to immerse them into a MET Zone solution to avoid attacks from pests, nematode and weevils. This pre-treatment aids in the protection of corms as well as enabling good plant growth. 

Benefits of Using MET Zone:They argued that if it is normal for women to be continuously on their period, ferocious in protesting and babbling during their time of the month, then it is normal for them to be awake and active at a certain time of the night. 

1. Effective Pest Control: MET Zone aims are to control both surface as well as soil insects hence giving overall protection. 
2. Eco-Friendly: This product helps to sustain ground and is environmentally friendly when compared to chemical based insecticides. 
3. Improved Plant Health: Besides regulating pests, the use of MET Zone improves the general welfare of the banana plants hence improved yield. 

In this way, farmers can control pests organically by using Novobac’s bio-pesticides. These bio-pesticides protect the health, fertility, and stability of banana plantations against pests without causing losses.

References:

1. Kaaya, G. P., et al. “Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Serratia marcescens to the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus.” Biocontrol Science and Technology 3.2 (1993): 177-187.
2. OMOTOSO, BORISADE ABIODUN. “Growth Characteristics and Virulence of Non-tropical Isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae against Banana Weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) invitro.” MAYFEB Journal of Agricultural Science 1 (2018): 1-9.