Widely applicable

Practices most sources agree on. 55 practices across 13 crops.

Summary of cited sources. TERAknow summarises published guidance from the sources linked on each page. Recommendations are general, not guaranteed: results depend on your soil, climate and variety, so confirm with local extension staff or an agronomist before acting.

Practices

Practices tagged Widely applicable

Banana · Pisang

Full banana guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Planting

    Start with clean planting material

    Use tissue-culture plants or suckers taken only from monitored, disease-free areas. Never take suckers from a mat with wilt symptoms, even if the sucker looks healthy.

    Technical detail
    • Tissue-culture plants are planted at the 5 to 6 leaf stage.
    • Suckers: trim the roots, cut the pseudostem to about 20 cm above the corm and grade by size so the block grows evenly.
    • Infected planting material is the main way Fusarium wilt TR4 travels long distances.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Water
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Use drip irrigation and keep roots out of standing water

    Drip is preferred over flooding. Earth up around plants in the rainy season so water drains away from the base.

    Technical detail
    • Stop irrigating about one week before harvest.
    • Give extra water in cool seasons to reduce chill injury.
    • Flood irrigation and surface runoff also move Fusarium spores between plants.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Desucker regularly and keep one follower

    Remove extra suckers so they do not compete with the mother plant. Keep one follower sucker for the next (ratoon) crop.

    Technical detail
    • Remove suckers about monthly; NHB reports that removing them with part of the corm every 5 to 6 weeks hastened shooting.
    • Hill banana systems keep two bearing plants and two suckers per clump.
    • Keep at least 12 functional leaves on the plant; remove only dry or diseased leaves.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Shooting & bunch

    Prop plants and protect the bunch

    Support the pseudostem when the bunch emerges, remove the male bud after the last hand, and cover the bunch with a perforated sleeve.

    Technical detail
    • Prop with bamboo or casuarina poles against the peduncle, especially in windy areas.
    • Cut the male bud after the last hand opens, leaving about 15 cm of stalk.
    • Cover with a 100 gauge polythene sleeve with about 6% ventilation once the last hand has emerged. TNAU reports perforated covers raised yield by 15 to 20% in its trials.
    • Covers protect against sun scorch, cold, thrips and scarring beetles.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Keep Fusarium wilt TR4 out with farm hygiene

    TR4 lives in soil for many years and no fungicide controls it. The defence is keeping infected soil, water and plants off the farm.

    Technical detail
    • Clean soil off vehicles, tools and footwear; use disinfectant footbaths at farm entries. Quaternary ammonium products work for tools.
    • Do not share machinery between farms, and limit visitors to affected blocks.
    • Divert surface runoff away from healthy blocks.
    • Resistant varieties are the most effective long-term measure once the disease is in an area.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Contain infected plants without spreading soil

    Confirm the diagnosis, then kill and destroy infected plants in place while disturbing the soil as little as possible.

    Technical detail
    • Symptoms: yellowing from the margins of older leaves, a skirt of collapsed leaves, and brown, red or yellow rings inside the pseudostem.
    • Destroy the plant and its suckers on site without chopping it up. Fence the spot and ditch around it to stop runoff.
    • Do not replant a susceptible variety there. Monitor nearby plants every two weeks.
    • FAO suggests a quarantine of at least 1.5 years with clean fallow in an infected zone.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil biology
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Build a disease-suppressive soil

    Organic matter improves microbial balance and the soil's ability to suppress Fusarium. Low pH raises disease risk; liming and calcium lower it, and urea may raise it.

    Technical detail
    • This supports, but does not replace, hygiene and resistant varieties.
    • FAO calls microbial antagonists promising but notes field studies are scarce. Clean planting material plus Trichoderma harzianum let some farms keep cropping infected soils for a few years.
    • Crop rotation alone did not give long-term control.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Emerging evidence: early or small-scale evidence
    • Core practice
    • Harvest
    • Stage: Harvest & ratoon

    Harvest green, at about three-quarters maturity

    Cut whole, blemish-free bunches while still green and about three-quarters mature, so fruit ripens evenly after harvest.

    Technical detail
    • Cut the bunch stalk 20 to 25 cm above the first hand.
    • Leave the top cut on the pseudostem after harvest.
    • Exact days from shooting to harvest depend on cultivar and climate; local data still to be added.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide

Chili · Cabai

Full chili guide
    • Core practice
    • Water
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Water at the root, early in the day

    Splashing water spreads anthracnose. Use drip or furrow irrigation where possible, and if watering overhead, do it early so leaves dry before evening.

    Technical detail
    • Keep soil evenly moist in hot weather; Sarawak advises watering twice daily in hot spells.
    • Never let beds stand in water.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Flowering & fruit set

    Manage anthracnose with sanitation and rotation

    Anthracnose thrives around 27°C with humidity above 80%. Pick off and destroy infected fruit, control weeds and volunteer plants, and rotate away from the pepper family.

    Technical detail
    • Do not replant chili where the last crop was diseased; leave a 3 year gap and avoid tomato and eggplant in the rotation.
    • If a fungicide is needed, protective sprays (for example mancozeb or a copper product) start at flowering.
    • Resistant lines exist, but test them locally because the fungus strains vary between sites.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Plant resistant varieties against bacterial wilt; rogue virus plants

    Bacterial wilt has no effective chemical control, so variety choice and well-drained land are the main defences. Pull and destroy plants showing virus symptoms.

    Technical detail
    • Sarawak names local wilt-resistant varieties; Indonesian equivalents still to be added.
    • Removing virus-infected plants early reduces the source for insects to spread.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide

Rubber · Karet

Full rubber guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Budding

    Plant budded clones, not unselected seedlings

    Commercial rubber is propagated by budding a selected clone onto a seedling rootstock. Clones give more uniform and productive stands than local seedlings.

    Technical detail
    • Budding methods include green, brown and crown budding.
    • In Indonesian agroforestry trials, clones such as PB 260, RRIC 100 and BPM 1 were compared with local seedlings.
    • Choose clones recommended for your region by the national rubber research institute.
    Regions
    Widely applicable · Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Land prep & planting

    Remove old stumps and roots before replanting

    White root disease (Rigidoporus microporus) is most damaging where many old root stumps and woody debris are left. Young trees aged 2 to 6 years are most at risk.

    Technical detail
    • Clear and destroy old roots and stumps during land preparation.
    • Remove and burn infected roots from affected trees.
    • A three-year-old tree can die within six months of infection, so check young trees regularly.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil biology
    • Stage: Land prep & planting

    Establish a legume cover crop between rows

    Creeping legumes protect the soil between young trees, suppress weeds and add nitrogen and organic matter.

    Technical detail
    • Common species: Pueraria phaseoloides, Calopogonium mucunoides, Centrosema pubescens and Desmodium ovalifolium.
    • Keep the cover weeded and clear of the tree rows while trees are small.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    • Core practice
    • Harvest
    • Stage: Tapping

    Open trees only when they reach tapping girth

    Start tapping when the trunk is 50 cm in circumference at 1 m above the ground, which is usually about five years after planting.

    Technical detail
    • The cut slopes down at about 30 degrees from the horizontal.
    • Cut close to the cambium without touching it; FAO describes stopping about 1.5 mm short of it.
    • When the panel has been tapped down its full length (about 7 years), tapping restarts higher up. FAO describes about 28 years of harvest in total.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Harvest
    • Stage: Tapping

    Tap at daybreak and keep latex clean

    Latex flows best early in the morning; FAO notes that late-day tapping gives about a third less latex. Collect latex a few hours after tapping and keep cups clean.

    Technical detail
    • Collect cup contents about 4 hours after tapping.
    • Remove dried latex from the cut and bark, and clean cups regularly.
    • Tap each tree on a fixed schedule, and rest trees in the driest months.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Conventional
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Tapping

    Choose a tapping system and limit stimulation

    Low-frequency systems such as half spiral every third day (S/2 d/3) reduce tapping intensity. Ethephon stimulation can be used, but not continuously.

    Technical detail
    • Ethephon: 5% active ingredient brushed on a 5 cm strip below the cut after light scraping.
    • TNAU advises not using stimulation continuously for more than 3 years.
    • If trees show tapping panel dryness (brown bast), reduce intensity or rest them for 3 to 12 months.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu) · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide

Oil palm · Kelapa sawit

Full oil palm guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Replanting & land preparation

    Plant on a triangular grid in suitable soil

    A triangular layout at 9 m gives about 140 palms per hectare. Choose deep, moist, permeable loam with pH between 4 and 6.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU: triangular system 9 m x 9 m x 9 m; best planting season in Tamil Nadu is May to June.
    • TNAU gives a climate of 21 to 32 °C with relative humidity of 75 to 100%.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu) · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide

Coffee · Kopi

Full coffee guide
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Harvest

    Break the berry borer cycle with frequent, complete picking

    The borer breeds inside berries and survives between crops in dry berries on the tree and the ground. Picking often and stripping all berries at season end removes its breeding sites.

    Technical detail
    • Pacific Pests: pick ripe berries at least every 2 weeks (2 to 3 weeks in hotspots), strip all berries at the end, and collect fallen berries. Aim for fewer than five ripe, overripe or raisin berries per tree.
    • Destroy infested berries: seal them in bins or bags in the sun for 2 weeks, bury at least 15 cm deep, or burn.
    • Area-wide action, where neighbours do the same, gives better control. Destroy abandoned plantings.
    Regions
    Widely applicable · Pacific
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Conventional
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Productive trees

    Monitor berry borer and spray only early, if needed

    Insecticides work only while the female is still in the entry tunnel. Sample trees to find hotspots and time any spray.

    Technical detail
    • Hawaii CoffeeEd uses a 30-tree sampling method to estimate infestation and decide when to spray.
    • Pacific Pests suggests spraying hotspots above 2% infestation. Use only products registered locally and follow the label.
    • Fallen berries are hard to treat, so sanitation remains the base.
    Regions
    Pacific · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree

Cocoa · Kakao

Full cocoa guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Site & shade

    Establish light Gliricidia shade

    Cocoa needs light shade. Gliricidia grows quickly from cuttings and is the main shade tree in PNG guides.

    Technical detail
    • PNG handbook: plant sticks about 1 m long and 5 cm thick; they give useful shade in 6 to 9 months. Thin temporary shade over years 2 to 4.
    • ACIAR: about 75% of full sunlight is ideal. Pacific Pests suggests light shade of about 600 shade trees per hectare to limit black pod.
    • Prune shade before the main flowering period.
    Regions
    Pacific · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Conventional
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Mature trees

    Remove black pods; use copper or phosphonate if needed

    Black pod spores splash from soil and infected pods. Sanitation and an open canopy come first; fungicides support them in the wet season.

    Technical detail
    • Pacific Pests: remove diseased pods at least monthly, more often in the main crop. The PNG handbook says weekly. Bury or burn husks.
    • Pacific Pests: copper sprays on pods every 2 weeks in the main crop season, or phosphonate trunk injections once or twice a year.
    • Use only locally registered products and follow the label.
    Regions
    Pacific · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree

Sugarcane · Tebu

Full sugarcane guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Establishment

    Start with a deep, well-drained root zone

    Check drainage and soil constraints before planting; sugarcane prefers deep, well-drained soil.

    Technical detail
    • Assess compaction and drainage across the intended planting rows.
    • The FAO optimum soil pH range is 6.0 to 7.5; measure the field before planning correction.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Water
    • Stage: Tillering and elongation

    Keep water available through active growth

    Plan irrigation around crop stage and soil water storage; prolonged water shortage during growth can reduce cane development.

    Technical detail
    • The FAO review describes high water demand during growth and a different response during maturation.
    • Check drainage as well as irrigation so the root zone remains workable.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree

Tomato · Tomat

Full tomato guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Nursery

    Raise seedlings under insect netting

    Yellow leaf curl viruses are spread by whitefly, and infected seedlings carry the virus to the field. Grow seedlings in a screened nursery from whitefly-free sources.

    Technical detail
    • BPTP Jawa Timur (chili guide; tomato is also a host): isolate the nursery with 50-mesh gauze.
    • Queensland Government: source seedlings from an area free of viruses and whiteflies. The virus is not seed-borne.
    • Jambi guide: soak seed in warm water for at least 6 hours; transplant at 25 to 30 days or 3 to 4 true leaves.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Nursery

    Graft onto resistant eggplant rootstock where wilt or flooding is likely

    Bacterial wilt has no effective chemical control. Grafting tomato onto wilt-resistant eggplant rootstock protects against wilt and short flooding in the hot-wet season.

    Technical detail
    • WorldVeg guide: eggplant accessions EG195 and EG203 resist flooding, bacterial wilt, root-knot nematode and Fusarium wilt. Use a tomato rootstock (Hawaii 7996) only where flooding is not expected.
    • Tube grafting at 2 to 3 true leaves with matching stems of 1.6 to 1.8 mm. Heal in a shaded chamber at 25 to 32 C and above 85% humidity, then harden; about 30 to 33 days from sowing.
    • Keep the graft union above the soil, or scion roots can bypass the rootstock. Grafted plants cost more, so use them where soil-borne disease or flooding is a real risk.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Water
    • Stage: Flowering & fruit set

    Keep soil moisture even

    Irregular watering causes fruit cracking, and uneven moisture is linked to blossom-end rot.

    Technical detail
    • Jambi guide: water 1 to 2 times a day early on, adjusted for weather, and do not let soil dry out.
    • Mulch helps hold moisture steady.
    • Never let beds stand in water, since wet, hot conditions spread bacterial wilt.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Remove wilted plants and rotate away from the tomato family

    The wilt bacterium spreads through soil, water, tools and seedlings, and survives for years in debris. Hygiene and long rotations limit it.

    Technical detail
    • Remove wilted plants with surrounding soil and destroy them. Clean soil off tools, machinery and shoes.
    • Rotate at least 4 years away from solanaceous crops; maize, soybean, grasses and rice have worked.
    • No chemicals give satisfactory control except soil fumigants. Tolerant varieties exist; check local lines.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Conventional
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Silver plastic mulch and targeted whitefly control

    Reflective silver-black plastic mulch deters whitefly. Where sprays are needed, use registered products within an IPM plan.

    Technical detail
    • BPTP Jawa Timur: silver-black plastic mulch reflects light that whiteflies avoid.
    • Queensland Government: control adult whiteflies before destroying old crops, remove old crops promptly after the final harvest, and keep weeds down.
    • Resistant varieties help only with good hygiene. Collect plastic after the crop.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree

Potato · Kentang

Full potato guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Seed selection

    Use certified seed tubers of a known class

    Seed tubers carry viruses, bacterial wilt and late blight. Certified seed has set disease limits for each class.

    Technical detail
    • Indonesia uses classes G0 to G4. G0 allows 0% virus and 0% bacterial wilt; G4 allows 2% virus and 1% bacterial disease (Mulyono et al. 2017).
    • Certified seed carries a white (G0), purple (G1) or blue (G2) label (Balitsa 2021).
    • Pacific Pests & Pathogens: use certified seed, and source seed potatoes from crops monitored free of bacterial wilt for 2 years.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Seed selection

    Plant sprouted, medium-sized tubers

    Well-sprouted, disease-free tubers emerge evenly. Very small tubers from low classes are mainly for seed multiplication.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU: well-sprouted, disease-free tubers of 40 to 50 g.
    • Balitsa grades G1 and G2 seed as large 90 to 120 g, medium 40 to 90 g, small under 40 g (source table partly garbled; verify).
    • Sprouting and emergence need cool conditions of about 12 to 18 C (Balitsa).
    Regions
    Widely applicable · Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Vegetative growth & hilling

    Hill soil up around the stems

    Hilling covers the stolons where tubers form, preventing green tubers and protecting them from tuber moth.

    Technical detail
    • UMN Extension: start when stems are about 30 cm tall and repeat once or twice, building about 15 to 20 cm of soil.
    • TNAU: earth up at 60 days with the second hoeing, also against potato tuber moth.
    • Balitsa medium-altitude guide: ridges about 40 cm high to prevent waterlogging.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Water
    • Stage: Vegetative growth & hilling

    Keep moisture even and avoid waterlogging

    Moisture stress during tuber enlargement causes knobby or hollow tubers, while waterlogging favours disease.

    Technical detail
    • UMN Extension: soak the soil once or twice a week; about 2.5 cm of water a week.
    • Drip irrigation keeps leaves dry, which helps against late blight (Pacific Pests & Pathogens).
    • Use ridges and good drainage on wet sites.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Tuber bulking

    Cultural late blight control

    Late blight spreads by wind, rain and infected tubers and thrives in cool, wet weather. Removing sources and keeping foliage dry lowers risk.

    Technical detail
    • Sporangia form at 90 to 100% humidity and about 12 to 24 C; infection can take as little as 2 hours (Wisconsin Extension).
    • Remove volunteer potato and tomato plants, destroy cull piles, space rows for airflow and limit nitrogen.
    • Use resistant or tolerant varieties and rotate 2 to 3 years.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Conventional
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Tuber bulking

    Protective fungicides before symptoms, rotating groups

    In wet highland seasons, fungicides are applied before symptoms appear, and groups are alternated to slow resistance.

    Technical detail
    • Balitsa medium-altitude trial: a two-ingredient product (mancozeb with cymoxanil) at 21, 28 and 35 days, then a contact fungicide (chlorothalonil) weekly to about 93 days.
    • Pacific Pests & Pathogens: protectants such as mancozeb, chlorothalonil or copper, rotated with systemic groups.
    • Use registered products and follow the local label.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Harvest
    • Stage: Harvest

    Cut haulm before harvest, then dig, sort and cure

    Removing the tops before digging lets skins set. Sorting removes diseased tubers before storage.

    Technical detail
    • Balitsa (2021): cut plants 10 days before harvest; harvest when plants yellow or at 90 to 100 days.
    • Sort out diseased or damaged tubers in the field.
    • UMN Extension: if skins rub off easily, cure in a dark, ventilated place at about 16 to 18 C for 10 days or more.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree

Mango · Mangga

Full mango guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Planting

    Plant healthy grafted trees in prepared pits

    Grafted trees come true to type and bear earlier than seedlings. Plant at the start of the rainy season into pits filled with organic matter.

    Technical detail
    • Indonesian guide: grafted plants at least 30 cm above the graft union (over 100 cm preferred), at least 4 months after grafting, with 2 flushes. Harden them in shade for at least 2 weeks.
    • Pits 60 x 60 x 60 cm in loose soil, 100 x 100 x 100 cm in dry or clay soil. That guide fills each pit with 20 kg organic fertilizer, 100 g NPK 15:15:15 and 250 g dolomite; adjust to a soil test.
    • UF/IFAS: avoid root-bound nursery trees, and plant on a 2 to 3 ft mound if the site can flood.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Canopy building

    Feed young and bearing trees in splits

    Increase fertilizer with tree age and split it through the year. Give most before flowering and the rest when fruit is marble sized.

    Technical detail
    • Indonesian guide for Arumanis, year 1: 20 kg organic fertilizer, 250 g urea, 100 g SP-36 and 250 g KCl per tree, rising each year.
    • For bearing trees, that guide gives two thirds early and one third when fruit is marble sized, with at least 1 week between organic and mineral fertilizer.
    • UF/IFAS: reduce nitrogen and raise potash on bearing trees. These are rates from single guides; adjust to a soil or leaf test.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Pruning & flower induction

    Tip pruning as a non-chemical flowering aid

    Pruning branch tips after harvest raised flowering in a Brazilian trial. Organic growers rely on pruning, irrigation and nutrition timing instead of growth regulators.

    Technical detail
    • In 'Uba' mango, unpruned trees flowered about 41% and tip-pruned trees about 84% without paclobutrazol (one trial).
    • A 2021 review calls for more research on pruning, girdling, fertilization and irrigation as organic options. Results are still limited.
    Regions
    Latin America · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Emerging evidence: early or small-scale evidence
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Flowering & fruit set

    Prevent anthracnose from flowering onward

    Anthracnose spreads by rain splash and thrives in humid, dense canopies. Remove dead twigs and fallen leaves, keep the canopy open, and protect flowers and young fruit.

    Technical detail
    • Pacific Pests: start protective sprays when flowers first appear and repeat every 3 to 4 weeks up to the pre-harvest interval. Products named for Australia include mancozeb, azoxystrobin and copper.
    • UF/IFAS: sprays after infection have no effect; coat new growth before infection.
    • Use only products registered locally and follow the label.
    Regions
    Widely applicable · Pacific
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Water
    • Stage: Fruit growth & harvest

    Water during fruit growth, then taper before harvest

    Mature trees need water while fruit sizes, but too much water causes root rot and poor fruit quality.

    Technical detail
    • Indonesian guide: 70 to 100 L per tree per week from ping-pong ball size, reduced to 40 L two weeks before harvest, and none in the last week.
    • UF/IFAS: trees 4 years and older need water only in long droughts; overwatering causes decline.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree

Durian · Durian

Full durian guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Canopy building

    Grow durian in mixed systems rather than dense monoculture

    Mixed cropping and diverse agroforestry lower disease pressure compared with uniform susceptible blocks.

    Technical detail
    • ACIAR advises against dense interplanting with other Phytophthora hosts such as papaya, coconut and cocoa.
    • TFNet recommends mixed cropping, weed control and 10 m spacing for airflow.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil biology
    • Stage: Fruit growth

    Beneficial microbes against Phytophthora

    Trichoderma fungi and Bacillus bacteria have been reported to reduce disease incidence. Use them alongside drainage and sanitation, not instead of them.

    Technical detail
    • The TFNet report mentions observations rather than field trial rates. Local evidence is limited.
    Regions
    Malaysia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Emerging evidence: early or small-scale evidence

Pineapple · Nanas

Full pineapple guide
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Land & planting material

    Start with wilt-free planting material

    Mealybug wilt spreads through planting material. Take material only from healthy fields or use treated or tissue-culture plants.

    Technical detail
    • Pacific Pests: use tissue culture or hot water at 50°C for 30 minutes, or take material from fields with under 10% wilt.
    • Do not take suckers next to diseased plants. Avoid replanting where wilt occurred.
    • Crowns or slips can be dipped in horticultural oil before planting.
    Regions
    Pacific · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Control ants so natural enemies can work on mealybugs

    Ants protect mealybugs and move them between plants. Breaking ant nests and keeping borders clean lets ladybirds and parasitic wasps reduce mealybugs.

    Technical detail
    • Pacific Pests: cultivate to destroy big-headed ant nests and keep field borders weed-free.
    • Remove and burn wilting plants as soon as they appear.
    • Ant baits or insecticides are a later step, used only if wilt passes about 3% of plants and products are registered locally.
    Regions
    Pacific · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Prevent Phytophthora heart rot with drainage and acidity

    Heart rot rots the central stem and gives a foul smell. Good drainage, healthy planting material and keeping soil out of the plant heart are the main defences.

    Technical detail
    • Guam: plant in acid soil (pH 5.0 to 6.9) on well-drained raised beds, and keep soil out of the plant heart.
    • TNAU and Kerala list fungicide sprays such as fosetyl-Al for affected fields; use only locally registered products.
    Regions
    Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree

Citrus · Jeruk

Full citrus guide
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Planting material

    Plant only certified, disease-free seedlings

    CVPD and tristeza travel in infected budwood. Buy label-certified seedlings from registered nurseries whose budwood comes from a screened multiplication block.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: scion wood must come from a Blok Penggandaan Mata Tempel (BPMT), a budwood block of disease-free mother trees in an insect-proof screenhouse (Balitjestro).
    • IAARD (2016) recommends blue-labelled seed and siting new orchards at least 2 km from endemic areas.
    • Florida likewise requires budwood and nursery production under psyllid-proof cover. Ask the seller where the budwood came from.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Prepare holes and keep the bud union high

    Plant at the start of the rainy season into prepared holes, with the graft union well above the soil to keep it out of wet soil.

    Technical detail
    • Indonesian guide (1993): holes at least 60 x 60 x 50 cm, sun-dried 2 to 4 weeks, backfilled with manure; stake young trees and mulch with straw.
    • UF/IFAS: plant with the bud union more than about 15 cm (6 inches) above the soil line, with adequate drainage.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil biology
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Build organic matter and correct acidity together

    Regular manure feeds soil life and roots, and mixing dolomite into the organic matter corrects acid soils.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS (one guide): manure about 20 to 40 kg per tree per year for trees 1 to 4 years old and 40 to 60 kg after year 4; below pH 5.5, mix about 1 to 2 kg dolomite per 100 kg organic matter.
    • Indonesian guide (1993): below pH 5 roots struggle; above pH 6 micronutrient deficiencies are common. Straw mulch after planting.
    • UF/IFAS: soil and irrigation water pH around 6.0 to 6.5 supports nutrient availability. Test soil before liming.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Young tree

    Raise fertilizer with tree age and split doses

    Nutrient needs grow each year. Apply mineral fertilizer in split doses in a ring around the tree, guided by leaf and soil analysis.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS (one guide): N rises from about 10 to 15 g per tree in year 1 to 250 to 300 g in year 5, using urea, SP-36 and KCl; foliar micronutrients 2 to 4 times during flushing.
    • Indonesian guide (1993): place fertilizer in a ring trench 10 to 20 cm from the trunk and cover it.
    • UF/IFAS: balanced, split applications; do leaf and soil analysis before changing a program. Adjust rates to local tests.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Conventional
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Bearing tree

    Monitor psyllids with yellow traps and treat at flushing

    The Asian citrus psyllid breeds only on new flush. Use traps to decide when to act, and coordinate control with neighbouring growers.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: 10 to 12 yellow traps per hectare at mid-canopy, checked every 2 weeks; act when the average exceeds 5 psyllids per trap. Trunk painting with imidacloprid every 2 to 4 weeks spares natural enemies better than spraying.
    • All growers in a production pocket should act together (PTKJS). Pacific Pests advises timing sprays to flushing periods.
    • UF/IFAS: imidacloprid resistance has been detected in Florida; rotate modes of action. Follow the local label.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Bearing tree

    Conserve psyllid parasitoids and predators

    Parasitoid wasps, ladybirds, hoverflies and insect-killing fungi reduce psyllid numbers, but on their own they do not stop HLB spread.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: Tamarixia radiata and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis parasitize psyllid nymphs; the fungus Hirsutella infects them in the rainy season. Conserve ladybirds and hoverflies.
    • Pacific Pests prefers botanical sprays such as neem with soap where sprays are needed.
    • UF/IFAS: Tamarixia, lady beetles and lacewings help, but parasitoids alone have not slowed disease spread.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Pacific · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Bearing tree

    Confirm CVPD, then remove infected trees

    Infected trees cannot be cured and feed bacteria to psyllids. Rule out nutrient deficiency first, then remove infected wood or whole trees.

    Technical detail
    • IAARD (2016): zinc and other deficiencies mimic CVPD. Deficiency tends to show across the orchard in a regular pattern; disease shows in patches. Persistent symptoms on new flush after balanced feeding point to infection.
    • PTKJS: remove branches with sectoral symptoms, or the whole tree and roots if infection is widespread; regrowth from stumps can carry infection.
    • UF/IFAS notes that pruning out symptoms does not succeed in Florida because roots are infected first. Spray infected trees for psyllids before removal.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Manage Phytophthora foot and root rot

    Phytophthora attacks the trunk base and roots in wet soil. Good drainage, a high bud union and dry trunks prevent most damage.

    Technical detail
    • UF/IFAS: avoid overwatering young trees and irrigate early to midday so trunks dry; use tolerant rootstocks when replanting; consider fungicides only after other causes of decline are checked.
    • PTKJS lists phosphorous acid (2 g/L) for foot rot; follow the local label.
    • BBP2TP identifies P. palmivora, P. citrophthora and P. parasitica in Indonesian orchards.
    Regions
    Widely applicable · Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    • Core practice
    • Water
    • Stage: Bearing tree

    Avoid water stress at flushing, flowering and fruit set

    Water shortage at key stages cuts flowering and fruit set. In Indonesia a dry period after harvest followed by irrigation is used to trigger flowering.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: after harvest let the land dry for about 3 months, then irrigate to trigger flowering. Bigger trees and coarser soils need more water.
    • UF/IFAS: HLB-affected trees have smaller root systems; more frequent, smaller irrigations reduce drought stress.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
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