Documentation of Insect-pests in Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii H. Bolus) in Kerala and Their Management

Surveys were conducted across three districts of Kerala, namely Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Wayanad, to document the insect pests and natural enemies associated with gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii H. Bolus) cultivars. The major pests identified were aphids (Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas), scales (Icerya sp.), thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood and Haplothrips sp.), and mites (Tetranychus sp.). Natural enemies recorded included spiders such as Plexippus paykulli (Audouin), Theridion sp., Oxyopes birmanicus (Thorell) and Ptocassius sp. Further, the efficacy of various insecticide treatments was evaluated under polyhouse conditions at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram for the management of Tetranychus sp. and S. dorsalis in gerbera. The results demonstrated that spiromesifen 22.9% SC applied at 96 g a.i./ha was highly effective in managing mites and thrips, offering a promising solution for pest management in gerbera cultivation.