Summary: | Control of the Cassava Mealybug Phenacoccus Manihoti Matile-Ferrero and the Cassava Green Mite Mononychellus tanajoa Bondar in Zaire : A Review. Since their accidental introductions in Zaire, the cassava mealybug Phenacoccus manihoti Matile-Ferrero and the cassava green mite Mononychellus tanajoa Bondar in the early 1970s, cassava is exposed to considerable yield loss and great reduction in quantity and quality of the planting material. Several attempts to control these exotic pests, including cultural and chemical methods as well as breeding for the host plant resistance were undertaken. Cultural control revealed to be efficient, but it is limited in its use. Chemical control is also limited due to socio-economic constraints. Although the use of resistant varieties is promising, breeding process is very slow. However, the results achieved through the establishment of an exoticparasitic wasp, Epidinocarsis lopezi DeSantis and other two exotic predators Diomus sp. and Hyperaspis notata on CM. indicate that biological control method counts for the most efficient method in controlling the two major cassava pests. More attention is now paid to the combination of several control strategies in order to achieve a sound and sustainable cassava pest management.
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