Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.), a recently recognized cash crop in Ghana, is an economically export oriented crop that plays a helping role in the Ghanaian economy in diverse ways. Owing to its importance, surveys were conducted in some major cashew producing communities in Dormaa and Berekum West District of the Bono region to assess the problems of insect pests and diseases associated with this economic tree across the study area. Diseased samples showing varying degrees of symptoms were taken for isolation and identification using morphological method. Insect pests were also assessed and identified. The results showed Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex to be associated with anthracnose, leaf lesions or spots, gummosis of twigs and stems and regressive die-back; Lasiodiplodia theobromae was found to cause stem and twig gummosis, blight, die-back of twigs and inflorescence; Pestalotia sp. was associated with Pestalotia leaf spot. Others, such as Penicillium sp., powdery mildew, Curvularia lunata, Cephaleuros sp. (red rust- algal leaf spot), mushroom and lichens were also found to be associated with the cashew orchards in the study area. Anthracnose, gummosis, algal leaf, and stem spots (red rust) and cashew kernel infection by Curvularia lunata constituted the major diseases of cashew in ascending order in the study area. The insect pests identified included Oecophylla smaragdina, Anoplocne miscurvipeson, Pseudotheraptus devastans, Pachnoda cordata, Pachnoda marginata, Helopeltis bug, Helopeltis schoutedeni, Planococcus sp., Lamida moncusalis, Odontotermes sp., Aphis sp., Analeptes trifasciata. Some unidentified pathogens, pests and other abnormalities were also observed.
Management of insect pests and diseases of cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale L.) in production areas
