Inception report of San Jose scale (Diaspidiotus perniciosus) on cherry plants in Nomal valley Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55627/zoobotanica.003.03.903Keywords:
Pest, Cherry, report, scale insects, signs, symptomsAbstract
This first instance of the San Jose scale (Diaspidiotus perniciosus) on cherry (Prunus avium) plants in the Nomal Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Pakistan, was reported in the research Paper. Infestation of the pest was found on different parts of the plants such as the main tree trunk, twigs branches and the difference was extremely high among the different locations such as Batot, Majini Mohlla, Kamalabad, Jigot, Sigal, Das and Ishpish. The thick layer of the scale shell formed by the main trunk infestation disturbed the vascular processes of the plant, and caused its gradual death. The poor growth, absence of vigor and waxy secretions characterized infestations of the branches, whereas twig infestations were characterized by morphological anomalies, poor fruit quality, and early fruit fall. Batot had the highest levels of infestation amongst the locations that were surveyed. The results highlight the importance of specific pest control measures, especially in places with high densities, and the need to focus on twig based control regimes.
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