This blog carries in-depth details about major pests hindering pomegranate production with its identification techniques and control measures.

In India, pomegranates are a significant cash crop. One of the challenges in pomegranate production is the invasion of a large variety of insect pests at various crop stages. Identifying pests in the fields as soon as possible is essential to stop significant outbreaks and quality losses. In order to grow pomegranates successfully, pest management is essential.

The major pests of pomegranates

• Anar butterfly/Pomegranate fruit borer
• Pomegranate thrips
• Fruit-sucking moth

Anar butterfly/ Pomegranate fruit borer

Among the pest of pomegranate, Anar butterfly infestations reduce pomegranate fruit yield and cause significant losses for farmers. The farmers see a decline in fruit yield and quality. The monsoon season’s peak occurs in August, whereas the winter crop’s peak occurs in November and December. Infestation from blooming to the button stage can result in fruit losses of up to 50%.

Symptoms

Identification measures to detect anar butterfly/ pomegranate fruit borer are listed below:

• The caterpillar eats the young fruits.
• Feeds off of interior components (pulp and seeds).
• Fruit loss and rot could occur.

Favourable circumstances for the pest infestation

It predominates mainly during the “mrig” bahar.
Fruit damage is visible between 30 and 50 days of age.

Control

The best ways to control pomegranate fruit borer are as follows:

• The tree’s health and vigour should be maintained through clean cultivation.
• The fruits will stay free of contamination if they are screened with polythene or paper bags.
• Eliminate all the harmed fruits.
• Get rid of Compositae family weeds.
• Keep an eye out for drying branches to spot early infestations.

Pomegranate Thrips

Thrips are a significant sucking pest in pomegranates. It consumes sensitive shoots and leaves. Thrips severely damage twigs, leaves, blossoms, fruits, and other plant parts through desapping (Desapping is the procedure used to remove liquid from fruits), which diminishes fruit quality and reduces crop yield. It is considered a mild pest in pomegranates, but it has taken on a more dangerous form in recent years. Infestation of thrips causes a substantial loss of flowers and immature fruit.

Symptoms

Identification measures to detect thrips infestation in pomegranate are as follows:

• Nymphs and adults consume the leaking cell sap on the underside of leaves by rasping the surface.
• The fruit’s market value will decrease due to the leaf tip turning brown and curling, drying up, and losing its flowers.

Favourable circumstances for pest infestation

Most of this pest infestation occurs from July to October, with September being the peak month. This pest can be found in places including Australia, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Hawaii, Thailand, and India. However, fruit-sucking moth infestation is a year-round occurrence. Adult moths move to cooler, wetter places when there is a drought. Crop damage from fruit-sucking moth infestations during the rainy season could range from 30% to 90%.

Control

The best ways to control the pest attack are as follows:

• Always keep the orchard clean.
• Keep proper aeration using adequate training and trimming
• Remove and destroy the plant’s harmed components.
• Regularly check the drying branches to detect early infestations of pest.
• For chemical control, spray cyantraniliprole 10.26% OD @ 300 ml in 400 l of water per acre.

Fruit-sucking moth

The fruit-sucking moth is a destructive pest that causes enormous losses to pomegranate growers. Identifying the pest at the right time is crucial to gain better yields.

Symptoms

Identification measures to detect the presence of fruit-sucking moth in pomegranates are as follows:

• At the feeding site, a round pinhole-like spot emerges.
• Later, the area close to the damaged area develops a yellowish-brown colour. Bacteria and fungi can quickly spread to the fruits that have been pierced.
• The fruit rots and drops before its time as a result.

Control

The best ways to control fruit-sucking moth in pomegranates are as follows:

• Fallen fruits should be thrown away since they draw insects.
• Generating smoke at sunset in the orchards.
• Elimination of weeds (Tinospora cardifolia, Cocculus pendules)
• Moth collection with hand nets in the evening.
• Utilise a light trap, then eliminate it with kerosene oil.

Planting Tips for farmers to control pomegranate pest outbreak effectively.

• If you haven’t planted your tree or shrub, pick a spot where the soil drains effectively. Pathogens that can cause infection will be present in the soil that is either overly wet or stays wet for an extended period of time. There are several options to solve the problem if an existing tree is growing in soil that doesn’t drain well, including building trenches to divert water or, if all else, fails. Also, maintain proper irrigation techniques to avoid pest infestations in the orchard.
• Pomegranate plants need to be pruned, whether you wish to shape them into trees with a single leader or let them grow as shrubs in their natural state.
• Dense or crowded plants may retain moisture, and dense branches and foliage may block light or limit ventilation, creating conditions that may favour disease and infestation.
• Many pomegranate kinds can grow huge if they aren’t pruned properly; some varieties can reach heights up to 30 feet and widths almost as great. So regular pruning is necessary to avoid pest infestations.
• If they overgrow, you can face a highly thorny, dense shrub that can be challenging to manage.
• Regularly observing the plant’s health is one of the simplest ways to prevent problems.
• Often, you’ll be able to spot early warning indications of problems before they worsen. You should be highly cautious to stop the possible spread if several trees grow nearby.
• You can add beneficial nematodes or entice beneficial insects like green lacewings, praying mantises, and ladybugs if you’ve had pest problems in the past and wish to strengthen your plants’ defences against re-infestation.

How can Fasal assist?

• Nasty pomegranate pests can swiftly and utterly destroy an entire field in a couple of days.
• With Fasal’s technology, pests like thrips, Anar butterflies, fruit-sucking moths, and others are no longer a threat to your pomegranate farms.
• The Fasal system keeps track of rainfall, humidity, temperature, canopy level temperature, humidity, and a microclimatic prediction for pests like thrips, butterflies, fruit-sucking moths, and others to warn farmers when the environment is favourable for pest infestation.
• Fasal sensors based on an artificial intelligence system suggest site-specific, time-specific, location-specific, and crop-specific solutions that enable farmers to reduce the chances of pest outbreaks.
• The system developed by Fasal generates several management plans and suggests remedies based on the particular conditions of a farm.