Prevalence of pineapple mealybug wilt disease in the Central region of Ghana

Mealybug wilt ofpineapple (MWP) disease is a major biotic constraint to the production ofpineapple in Ghana. The study assessed farmers’ awareness of MWP disease and their disease management practices in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA), Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK), and Ekumfi districts in the Central Region of Ghana. Incidence and severity scores of MWP disease were determined from 20 pineapple farms selected from each of the three districts. The field data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the means separated with the least significant difference (LSD) method at P<0.05. Incidence of MWP disease differed significantly between preand post-induction growth stages and among the three districts (p<0.05), ranging from 2.20±0.46% to 9.45± 1.10%. Soil fertility status of the farms was inherently low.