Experts say that the havoc wrought by the eriophyid mite (eriphyes guerreronis) in Kerala is the worst ever since the disease was first noticed in Mexico in 1965 and subsequently in Cameroon (in 1967), Colombia (1971), Cuba (1972), Ivory Coast (1975), Puerto Rico (1977), Dominica (1980), Brazil (1989) and Costa Rica(1990).

"The mite infestation of coconut trees recorded in foreign countries so far was not as acute as that witnessed in Kerala now," according to a study report on the disease submitted before the general council of the Kerala Agricutlural University(KAU) which met here on Thursday.

There were rumours that a mutant variety of the mite was developed specifically for Kerala's climate and released in Ernakulam with the ulterior motive of destroying the state's prominent position in coconutproduction and thereby wreck its economy. Some scientists had even gone on record saying that the mite was "artificially created."

The study report suggests that 90 per cent of the coconut palms in 1.2 million hectares of land in the state, which derived its name from "Kera"(coconut),was affected by the disease.

However, state agriculture minister Krishnan Kaniyamparambil differed with the finding of the KAU and said there was no possibility of 90 per cent of the coconut palms being affected by the disease.

Kerala's annual production was nearly 6,000 million nuts with a productivity of about 5,775 nuts per hectare. Kerala accounts for more than 40 per cent of the total national production of coconut. More than 1.5 million coconut growers were affected by the disease.

The mite menace, which was unknown to the state till it was first noticed at Kanjiramattam in Ernakulam district by a retired professor of the KAU two years ago, spread to the southern districts even as efforts were still on to find asolution for the control of the devastating coconut "Root Wilt" disease which had, over the years, affected about one third of the area under the coconut crop.

The KAU study points out that the state is likely to suffer a loss of Rs 100 to 150 crore due to the disease.

The disease, which was initially found at Kanjiramattam and subsequently at Amballur, Mulamthiruthy, Trippunithura, Vytilla, Kumbalam and Palluruthy (all in Ernakulam district) in 1997, soon spread its tentacles to Thrissur, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Malappuram, Palakkad, Idukki, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts.

The dreaded mite is reportedly found in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, which had started reducing the supremacy of Kerala in the matter of coconut production.The Kerala government, which had requested the union government to release an emergency grant of Rs 100 crore by treating the Mandari affliction as a national calamity, had sanctioned from its funds a sum of Rs 13.52 crore for the first stage operation of a three-phasedprogramme involving spraying of pesticide "monocrotophos" and "dicofol" which were chosen on the basis of the recommendations of an expert committee of agricultural scientists from the central plantation crops research institute and the Kerala Agricultural University.

The farmers have been advised to use mixture of garlic, neem oil and soap in addition to the pesticides being manufactured by a central government agency.Meanwhile, a leading soil scientist KP Prabhakaran Nair had come out against the use of "Monocrotophos" and "Dicofol" to fight the mite menace as they had been banned in European Countries due to their non-biodegradable and toxic characteristics.

Linking the mite attack to the green revolution, Nair Said it might have occurred due to the degradation of soil caused by the abuse of fertilisers during the green revolution.

Agriculture minister Kaniyamparambil said more researches were being made to find out the feasibility of other pesticides to combat the disease or develop counter insectsagainst the existing ones. He had directed the KAU to conduct researches in association with agencies and universities in those countries where the disease had struck earlier. A special cell had been formed to study the disease.

The government had already held discussions with the representatives of 22 recognised farmers organisations and a separate discussion with others concerned in a bid to create awareness about the disease and apprise the steps taken by the government to tackle the mite menace.

The fall in coconut production, the direct offshoot of the disease, had started affecting all the coconut related industries- oil, copra and coir.The Eriophyid mite is a microscopic organism invisible to the naked eye. The worm-like adult Eriophyid, with an yellowish white tinge, measures about 250 microns and has a life span of seven to 12 days.

The mites are carried through the wind and live on floral bunches of the coconut palm. The infestation, according to experts, starts immediately after pollinationand the mites colonise the button stage nuts to feed on the sap and reproduce. While severe infestation results in heavy button shedding, a moderate affliction leads to deformity of the nuts and impaired development of husk and oil content.

Meanwhile, the pro-BJP "Karshaka Morcha" accused the ruling parties of trying to convert the "pesticide spraying on affected coconut palms as their political programme."

Even as several research programmes are being carried out to combat the mite meance, Friday's statement by S Kannaiyan, vice chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University at Coimbatore, that a solution to the coconut mite problem would be found within six months, has provided a glimmer of hope to Kerala's coconut farmers and the state's economy.

--UNITED NEWS OF INDIA