Coconut — 6Pests & diseases

• Rhinoceros beetle and red palm weevil: clean-garden measures

  Rhinoceros beetle: remove and burn dead palms; collect and destroy beetle stages from manure pits whenever manure is lifted; add the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae to manure pits; keep mud pots with castor cake (1 kg in 5 litres of water) to attract and kill adults; hook out adults from the crown at every harvest. Red palm weevil: remove and burn wilting or damaged palms, avoid wounds on the stem and fill stem holes with cement; avoid cutting green leaves, or cut them about 120 cm away from the stem.

  Pending expert review

  Source

  Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Coconut – Pest management (rhinoceros beetle, red palm weevil), pp. 215–218

  Region

  Tamil Nadu

  Last updated

  2026-11-04

• Other pests and diseases: ask before you treat

  The source also lists chemical treatments for black-headed caterpillar, eriophyid mite, basal stem rot, bud rot, stem bleeding and leaf spot, including root feeding and crown sprays. Some require not harvesting nuts for a period after treatment. Choose any treatment only with your local Horticulture or Agriculture Officer.

  Follow the instructions on the product label. Consult your local Agriculture Officer before use.

  Pending expert review

  Source

  Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Coconut – Pest and disease management, pp. 215–224

  Region

  Tamil Nadu

  Last updated

  2026-11-04