The growing of Cavendish banana for export is a major source of foreign exchange for the Philippines accounting for about US$1.64 billion of trade value in 2020. The main destinations for banana exports are: Japan ($749M), China ($453M), South Korea ($204M), Saudi Arabia ($52.9M), and Iran ($46.6M). The fastest growing export markets for bananas from the Philippines between 2019 and 2020 were Qatar ($1.05M), New Zealand ($935k), and Brunei ($722k).
These main export markets are becoming more and more strict with respect to the maximum pesticide residue levels (MRLs) that are allowed by their Governments and many pesticides have been banned with others set to be banned in the coming years.
Sucking insects are significant banana plant pests.
Scale Insects typically infest the pseudo stem and leaves, then also the fruit. Female scale insects give the pest its name, staying permanently in feeding sites and feeding, then secreting fibres of wax, which form the protective covers or scales. Heavy infestations cause severe damage and will make bananas unmarketable. They are also an undesirable invasive pest for destination markets.
Banana thrips cause flecked, spotted or deformed flowers and pimple like bumps on the fruits.
Scarring beetles feed on the young leaves and skin of young banana fruits. This insect sometimes lives in the heart of the pseudo stem within the roll of the central leaf. They are mostly found in rainy conditions.
Aphids are normally accompanied by ants which act as dispersants of the nymphs.
The nymphs and adults congregate under the outer base of the banana pseudo stem.
The insect sucks the sap of the plant and reduces general growth and vigour. Aphids are also a vector for the Banana Bunchy top Virus. (BBTV).
Mealybugs suck sap from plant phloem, reducing plant vigour, and they excrete sticky honeydew and wax, which reduces plant and fruit quality. They are particularly unwanted in exported crops to prevent introducing foreign species into the destination countries.
In 2020 Tarssus XP was registered in the Philippines for the control of banana thrips via bunch spray.
In November 2021 the registration was expanded to include the control of scale insects, mealybugs, aphids and scarring beetles through stem and mat spray.
In January 2022 the registration was further expanded to include scale insects and mealybugs through bunch spray.
Traditionally deltamethrin and diazinon have often been used in these applications but are now not allowed by some export markets.
The active ingredient in Tarssus XP has no potential for harming human health (exempt substance) based on the provision of paragraph 3, article 11 of the Japanese Food Sanitation Act, and is also denoted as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) in the USA. The active ingredient is also allowed as a food additive in South Korea.
Tarssus XP, the natural choice for biorational control of all major sucking insects in banana.