The Ministry of Agriculture has raised concerns about two insect pests which are affecting tree crops in Dominica.
According to the acting head of the Plant & quarantine Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture Nelson Laville, these insects are posing a major threat to the production rate of many plants across Dominica.
He is calling on people to be aware of them so as to deal with them properly.
“The ICS Skeel or giant Skeel and croton and they are located in the Bellveue, Canefield, La Plaine, Delices. You will see this white fungus substance on the stem which is affecting our trees like avocado trees, tobacco leaves, and others,” Laville said.
He explained that spraying them with pesticides will not deal with the problem. “Spraying with pesticides will not work since you will have to repeatedly keep spraying them; you have to use insects that will deal with them which we call nature enemies since they can control them. We are confident that going through this it will work as we did many years ago with the pink mele-bug and the citrus sand fly,” he stated.