MAJOR PESTS OF BHENDI (OKRA) CROP

MAJOR PESTS OF BHENDI (OKRA) CROP

  1. Shoot and fruit borer
  2. Fruit borer
  3. Shoot weevil
  4. Stem weevil
  5. Leaf roller
  6. Semilooper
  7. Whitefly
  8. Jassids
  9. Aphids
  10. Red cotton bug

1. Shoot and fruit borer: Earias vitella, E. insulana 

Noctuidae; Lepidoptera

Damage symptoms: Larva bores into tender terminal shoots in the vegetative stage and flower buds, flowers and young fruits in the fruit formation stage.  The damaged shoots droop, wither and dry up.  The infested fruits present a deformed appearance and become unfit for consumption.  Bore holes - plugged with excreta.

Identification of pest:

E. Vitella:

  • Egg: Sculptured egg and sky blue in colour.
  • Larva: Brownish with white streaks dorsally and pale yellow ventrally.
  • Adult: Forewing are pale with a wedge shaped green band in the middle

E. insulana:

  • Larva: Brown with dorsum showing a white median longitudinal streak.
  • Pupa: Brown and boat shaped.
  • Adult: Forewing are uniformly silvery green.

Management

  • Set up pheromone trap @ 12/ha.
  • Collection and destruction of affected fruits.
  • Release of egg parasite Trichogramma chilonis @ 1.0 lakh/ha.
  • Release of 1st instar larvae of green lacewing predator Chrysoperla carnea @ 10,000/ha.
  • Dust carbaryl 10 % DP @ 25 kg /ha or spray Bacillus thuringiensis @ 2 g/lit.
  • For effective control of Caterpillar in bhendi crop we can use bio pesticide like “LARVEX 250 ml / acre”.

2. Bhendi fruit borer: Helicoverpa armigera

Noctuidae: Lepidoptera

Symptoms of damage:

  • Feed on the flowers.
  • Circular boreholes on fruits.
  • Larva thrust only part of their body inside the fruit feed.

Identification of pest:

  • Eggs: Are spherical in shape and creamy white in colour, laid singly.
  • Larva: Shows colour variation from greenish to brown.
  • Pupa: Brown in colour, occurs in soil, leaf, and pod.
  • Adult: Female brownish yellow stout moth, Male is pale greenish in colour with V shaped markings.

Management:

  • Collect and destroy the infected fruits and grown up larvae.
  • Grow simultaneously 40 days old American tall marigold and 25 days old tomato seedling at 1:10 rows to attract Helicoverpa adults for egg laying.
  • Setup pheromone trap with Helilure at 15/ha.
  • Six releases of T. chilonis @ 50,000/ha per week coinciding with flowering time.
  • Release Chrysoperla carnea at weekly interval at 50,000 eggs or grubs/ha from 30 DAS.
  • Spray carbaryl 50 WP 2 g/lit or B. thuringiensis 2 g/lit.
  • Do not spray insecticides after maturity of fruits.
  • For effective control of Caterpillar in bhendi crop we can use bio pesticide like “LARVEX 250 ml / acre”.

3.Shoot weevil: Alcidodes affaber

Symptoms of damage:

  • Grub feed on stem and galls are formed in the stem and petiole.
  • Adults feed on leaf buds and terminal shoots

Identification of pest:

  • Grubs - creamy yellow, apodous.
  • Adults - dark greyish brown with pale cross bands on elytra

Management:

  • Soil application of Carbofuran 3 G at 30 kg/ ha on 20 DAS and earthed up.
  • Basal application of FYM 25 t/ha or 250 kg/ha of neem cake.
  • For effective control of Caterpillar in bhendi crop we can use bio pesticide like “LARVEX 250 ml / acre”.

4.Stem weevil: Pempherulus affinis

Symptoms of damage:

  • Grub feed on stem and galls are formed in the stem and petiole.
  • Adults feed on leaf buds and terminal shoots.

Identification of pest:

  • Grubs: Creamy yellow, apodous.
  • Adults: Dark greyish brown with pale cross bands on elytra

Management:

  • Soil application of Carbofuran 3 G at 30 kg/ha on 20 DAS and earthed up.
  • Basal application of FYM 25 t/ha or 250 kg/ha of neem cake.
  • For effective control of Caterpillar in bhendi crop we can use bio pesticide like “LARVEX 250 ml / acre”.

5.Leaf roller: Sylepta derogate

Symptoms of damage:

  • Caterpillar rolled the leaves.
  • Scrapping the chlorophyll content and feed inside.
  • Defoliation

Identification of pest:

  • Larva: Bright green (glistening) with dark head and prothoracic shield.
  • Adult: moth with yellow wings having brown wavy markings

Management:

  • Collect and destroy rolled leaves.
  • Spray carbaryl 50 WP 2 g/lit or phosalone 35 EC 2 ml/lit.
  • For effective control of Caterpillar in bhendi crop we can use bio pesticide like “LARVEX 250 ml / acre”.

6. Semilooper: Anomis flava

Symptoms of damage:

  • Caterpillar fed on the leaves
  • Defoliation

Identification of pest:

i) Anomis flava

  • Larva - Green coloured semi looper, with five longitudinal white stripes

ii) Xanthodes graelsi

  • Larva – Green coloured Semi looper, with horseshoe markings on each segment

 iii) Tarache nitidula

  • Larva –Green coloured semi looper

Management:

  • Spray phosalone 35 EC @ 2ml/lit.
  • For effective control of Caterpillar in bhendi crop we can use bio pesticide like “LARVEX 250 ml / acre”.

7. Whitefly: Bemisia tabaci

Symptoms of damage:

  • Chlorotic spots on the leaves which latter coalesce forming irregular yellowing of leaf tissue.
  • Severe infestation results in premature defoliation.
  • Development of sooty mold.
  • Vector of yellow vein mosaic virus.

Identification of pest:

  • Nymph: Greenish yellow, oval in outline.
  • Adult: Minute insects with yellow body covered with a white waxy bloom.

Management:

  • Whiteflies can be effectively attracted and controlled by yellow sticky traps.
  • Remove alternate weed host Abutilon indicum.
  • Uproot and destroy the diseased leaf curl plants.
  • Use nitrogen and irrigation judiciously.
  • For effective control of whiteflies we can use bio pesticides like Dr.Eliminator 250ml/acre.

8. Jassids: Amrasca devastans

Symptoms of damage:

  • Tender leaves become yellow.
  • The margin of the leaves start curling downwards and reddening sets in.
  • In the case of severe infestation leaves get a bronze which is typical “hopper burn” symptom.
  • The margins of the leaf get broken and crumble into pieces when crushed.
  • The leaves dried up and shed and growth of the crop is retarded.

Identification of pest:

  • Nymph: Light green, translucent, wingless found between the veins of leaves on the under surface.
  • Adult: Green, wedge shaped leafhopper.

Management:

  • Grow resistant varieties.
  • For effective control of Jassids we can use bio pesticides like Dr.Eliminator 250ml/acre.

9. Aphid: Aphis gossypii

Symptoms of damage:

  • Infesting tender shoots and under surface of the leaves.
  • Curling and crinkling of leaves.
  • Stunted growth.
  • Development of black sooty mould due to the excretion of honey dew.

Identification of pest:

  • Nymphs: Yellowish or greenish brown found on the undersurface of leaves.
  • Adults:  are greenish brown, soft bodied and small insects.

Management:

  • Monitoring the activities of the late adult by setting up yellow sticky traps.
  • For effective control of Aphids we can use bio pesticides like Dr.Eliminator 250ml/acre.

10.Red cotton bug: Dysdercus cingulatus

Symptoms of damage:

  • Infested seeds become discoloured and shrivelled.

Identification of pest:

  • Nymphs and Adults: Reddish bugs with white bands on the abdomen and black markings on the wings.

Management:

  • Conserve the biocontrol agent Harpactor costalis predaceous on nymph and adult.

  • Spray phosphamidon 40 SL @ 600 ml/ha

For effective control of Red cotton bug we can use bio pesticides like Dr.Eliminator 250ml/acre.

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