Department of Plant Protection, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam - 625604, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Corresponding author
1Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai - 625 104, Tamil Nadu
Irrespective of the palm characteristics, higher population of all the stages of eriophyid, Aceria guerreronis and predatory mites, Amblyseius spp. was found on the nut surface than the tepal area. Nut damage increased with nut age (up to 4–5 months, 46.31%), while maximum eriophyld mite population (23.73/4mm2) was noticed on 3–4 months old nuts. However, population of predatory mite was more on five months old nuts. Impact of damage on quality of matured drupe revealed 30 per cent yield loss on grade 4 nuts. Higher quantity of total phenol aiong with lower incidence of both mite species was observed on orange, red and yellow colour nuts than the nuts of green types.
