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ARREST OF THE SWOLLEN‐SHOOT VIRUS DISEASE OF CACAO IN THE GOLD COAST BY CONTROLLING THE MEALYBUG VECTORS WITH THE SYSTEMIC INSECTICIDE, DIMEFOX
Author(s) -
HANNA A. D.,
HEATHERINGTON W.
Publication year - 1957
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1957.tb05884.x
Subject(s) - mealybug , biology , acre , shoot , horticulture , toxicology , pest analysis , agronomy
A 13‐acre plot of cacao, in an area devastated by swollen shoot, was treated by dimefox applied to the soil nine times. The plot was examined every month and trees recorded as they showed symptoms. The number of such trees decreased very rapidly a year after the first treatment and remained low for the 3 years that the experiment was continued. This suggests that the time between infection and symptom development can extend to about I year. The cause of the continued appearance of a few diseased trees could not be determined. As cacao farms differ from one another, it was difficult to find suitable control plots. Three farms in the neighbourhood of the chemically treated area were selected. The initial percentage of diseased trees in each was lower than on the chemically treated plot. The three farms were inspected every month and newly discovered trees with symptoms were felled. The number of such trees decreased 12 months after the initial cutting out and then increased abruptly until it again reached a high level. Chemical treatment combined with cutting out was more efficient than cutting out alone in arresting the advance of the disease.