Field Guide to
Non-chemical
in Mango
Production
This publication is prepared by PAN Germany
for PAN UK
Pesticide Action Network (PAN)
Founded in 1982, the Pesticide Action Network is an
international coalition of over 600 citizens groups in more
than 60 countries, working to oppose the misuse of
How to use this field guide
This field guide is designed to make the control of mango pests as easy as possible.
Each pest included has a brief description of its lifecycle, damage it causes, and the control measures. It is very important to know how the insect/mite pest develops because the adult does not always cause the damage and sometimes it is not even found where the damage occurred. Also, as not to confuse you with the beneficial ones, a separate description of the natural enemies and their conservation and management are discussed at the last part. Included in the control measures are cultural practices, physical control, plant extracts, other homemade solutions, and other practical methods.
For example, you notice that the mango fruits have black spots when you’re out in the
field. What would you do? First, have a closer and careful examination of your plant. If you find the pest and can’t identify it, turn the following pages and look at the illustration of an insect and/or the damage or symptom in each pest entry. Once you have identified the pest, look into the corresponding control measures on how to lessen its population density. You have various options like: cultural practices (e.g. removal of weeds); physical control (e.g. handpicking); plant extract (e.g. neem spray); other homemade solution (e.g. soap spray); other method (use of baits).
However, with every effort made to provide you with complete information on the natural pest control in Mango Production, the recommendations may vary from every location. It is highly recommended that you have to try the various control practices in small scale
especially for the plant extracts and other homemade solutions, in order to make adjustments that are adaptable to your local farm conditions before going into large scale application. And best of all, always keep farm records to have a list of successes and failures in each time you grow a crop!
General recommendations
Throughout this field guide you will find suggestions for lessening the pests’ population
before they have control over your plants. To make a plan for you to grow a healthy crop, the following tips are the steps you ought to take:
1. Learn to identify the pests and other causal agents and the natural enemies
2. Select the proper mango variety that is well adapted to your local conditions
3. Always select good and diseased-free seedlings.
4. Have a healthy soil, and always keep in mind that over-fertilizing isn’t necessarily Better
5. Plant intercrops to improve the field’s diversity and to encourage natural enemies
6. Follow the recommended pruning practices
7. Always practice proper plant sanitation by removing and pruning infested plant parts
and filed sanitation by keeping the area free of weeds and other plant residues.
8. Monitor your plants regularly
9. When in doubt, always ask for assistance from your local agriculturists
When controlling pests using the plant extracts and other homemade solutions, the
following are the standard procedures for their preparation and application:
1. Select plants/plant parts that are pests-free.
2. When storing the plants/plant parts for future usage, make sure that they are properly
dried and are stored in an airy container (never use plastic container), away from
direct sunlight and moisture. Make sure that they are free from molds before using
them.
3. Use utensils for the extract preparation that are not used for your food preparation
and for drinking and cooking water containers. Clean properly all the utensils every
time after using them.
4. Do not have a direct contact with the crude extract while in the process of the
preparation and during the application.
5. Make sure that you place the plant extract out of reach of children and house pets
while leaving it overnight.
6. Always test the plant extract formulation on a few infested plants first before going
into large scale spraying.
7. Wear protective clothing while applying the extract.
8. Wash your hands after handling the plant extract.
Since mango has a large canopy. The use of plant leaf extracts is advised for a few trees
only, unless the recommended ones are bountiful in your area.
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