Whitefly larvae and adults like to gather on the underside of new leaves, feeding on plant sap. This causes chlorosis, yellowing, and eventually withering. They also secrete honeydew, which can trigger sooty mould, affecting the quality of fruits and vegetables and causing serious concerns for farmers.

Malaysia is located in a tropical region near the equator, with year-round temperatures ideal for pest activity and reproduction. For many domestic farmers, whiteflies are one of the easiest pests to spread under such climate conditions. Advansia recommends farmers to apply Pyriproxyfen 10.8EC when whiteflies are still in the egg or nymph stage, so control can be carried out more easily and effectively.

Hidden Damage on the Underside of Leaves

Whiteflies, also known as white moth flies, are small white sucking pests. In Malaysia, common whitefly species include tobacco whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia argentifolii), greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum), and citrus whitefly (Aleurodicus dispersus).

They are usually small and hide on the underside of crop leaves. Adults and larvae use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap and spread viruses. Leaves damaged by whiteflies may turn yellow. They also secrete honeydew, which can lead to sooty mould, affecting photosynthesis and crop growth.

Regular Pruning and Protection

In Gua Musang, Mr. Chan, an experienced grower, shared a practical method for managing whiteflies with the Advansia team. To reduce whitefly attacks, his team regularly prunes and trims the crops, allowing the plants to receive sufficient airflow and ensuring that all parts of the crop can be reached during spraying.

This helps make pesticide coverage more complete and suppresses whitefly reproduction. He also shared that regular use of Pyriproxyfen 10.8EC can effectively control whiteflies and help prevent serious outbreaks over the long term. This reduces the chances of pest resurgence and also helps save labour and pesticide costs.

Farmers are advised to apply 10ml of Pyriproxyfen 10.8EC together with 20ml of Diafenthiuron 24SC in 20 litres of clean water when whitefly adults and eggs are present, in order to achieve more comprehensive pest protection.