INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF STORED PRODUCE PESTS

INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF STORED PRODUCE PESTS

Integrated pest management is a simple strategy to improve the ecosystem by focusing mainly on the long-term elimination of the damages caused by pests with the help of combined techniques that include habitat manipulation, biological control, use of different resistant varieties and modifying cultural practices. The work of integrated pest management is to use pesticides only after monitoring them and by using them as per the guidelines provided with a motive of targeting and removing organisms only. The materials for pest control are applied and selected in such a manner that reduces the risks caused to the environment, human health and beneficial organisms. There is a multi-prong technique applied to solve the problems of the pests by non-harmful methods. The only emphasis is on the elimination and reduction of pest breeding that includes termite infestation and bed bugs.

The control methods of stored produce pests can be categorized into preventive and curative measures.

Preventive measures      

• Brush the cracks, crevices and corners to remove all debris in the godown.
• Clean and maintain the threshing floor/yard free from insect infection and away from the vicinity of villages.
• Clean the machines like harvester and thresher before their use.
• Made the trucks, trolleys or bullock carts free from infestation.
• Clean the godowns/ storage structures before storing the newly harvested crop to eliminate various bio stages of pest hiding.
• Provide a metal sheet upto a height of 25 cm at the bottom of the wood in doors to arrest the entry of rats.
• Fix up wire meshes to windows, ventilators, gutters, drains etc., to prevent entry of rats, birds and squirrels.
• Remove and destroy dirt, rubbish, sweepings and webbings etc from the stores.
• Close all the rat burrows found in godown with a mixture of broken glass pieces and mud plastered with mud/ cement.
• Plaster the cracks, crevices, holes found on walls, and floors with mud or cement and white wash the stores before storing of grains.
• Provide dunnage leaving gangway or alleyway of 0.75 to 1 m all around to maintain good storage condition.
• Store the food grains in rat and moisture proof storage structures.
• Disinfest the storage structures receptacles by spraying malathion 50 EC @ 3 lit 100 m before their use.

Curative measures

Ecological methods

• Manipulate the ecological factors like temperature, moisture content and oxygen through design and construction of storage structures/ godown and storage to create ecological conditions unfavourable for attack by insects.
• Temperature above 420 C and below 150 C retards reproduction and development of insect while prolonged temperature above 450 C and below 100 C may kill the insects.
• Dry the produce to have moisture content below 10% to prevent the buildup of pests.
• Kill the pests bio stages harbored in the storage bags, bins etc., by drying in the sun light.
• Store the grains at around 10 % moisture content to escape from the insects attack.
• Manipulate and reduce oxygen level by 1% to increase the CO2 level automatically, which will be lethal to all the stages of insects.

Physical methods

• Provide a super heating system by infrared heaters in the floor mills and food processing plants to obtain effective control of pests since mostly the stored produce insects die at 55 –600C in 10 – 20 minutes.
• Modify the storage atmosphere to generate low oxygen (2.4% and to develop high carbon di oxide (9.0 – 9.5) by adding CO2 to control the insects.
• Seed purpose: Mix 1 kg of activated kaolin (or) lindane 1.3 D (or) malathion 5 D for every 100 kg of seed and store/pack in gunny or polythene lined bags.
• Grain purpose: Mix 1 kg activated kaolin for every 100 kg of grain and store. To protect the pulse grains, mix activated kaolin at the above dosage or any one of the edible oils at 1 kg for every 100 kg of grain or mix 1 kg of neem seed kernel for every 100 kg of cereal / pulse and store.
• Do not mix synthetic insecticides with grains meant for consumption.

Cultural methods

• Split and store pulses to escape from the attack by pulse beetle since it prefers to attack whole pulses and not split ones.
• Store the food grains in air tight sealed structures to prevent the infestation by insects.

Mechanical methods

• Sieve and remove all broken grains to eliminate the condition which favour storage pests.
• Stitch all torn out bags before filling the grains.

Chemical methods

• Treat the walls, dunnage materials and ceilings of empty godown with malathion 50 EC 10 ml/L (or) DDVP 76 WSC 7 ml/L1 at 3 Ll spray solution/10 sq.m.
• Treat the alleyways and gangways with malathion 50 EC 10 ml/L or DDVP 76 WSC 7 ml/ L (1 L of spray fluid/270 m3).
• Spray malathion 50 EC 10 ml/ L with @ 3 L of spray fluid / 100 m2 over the bags.
• Do not spray the insecticides directly on food grains.
• Use knock down chemicals like lindane smoke generator or fumigant strips pyrethrum spray to kill the flying insects and insects on surfaces, cracks and crevices.
• Use seed protectants like pyrethrum dust, carbaryl dust to mix with grains meant for seed purposes only.
• Decide the need for shed fumigation based on the intensity of infestation.
• Check the black polythene sheets or rubberized aluminium covers for holes and get them ready for fumigation.
• Use EDB ampoules (available in different sizes 3 ml, 6 ml, 10 ml, 15 ml and 30 ml) at 3 ml/quintal for wheat and pulses and 5 ml/ quintal for rice and paddy (Do not recommend EDB for fumigation of flour oil seeds and moist grains)
• Use EDCT (available in tin containers of 500 ml, 1 liter and 5 litres) at 30 – 40 litres/ 100 cubic meter in large scale storage and 55 ml/quintal in small scale storage.

 FUMIGATION
Use fumigants like ethylene dibromide (EDB), ethylene dichloride carbon tetra chloride (EDCT), aluminium phosphide (ALP) to control stored produce pests effectively. Apply aluminum phosphide (available in 0.6 g and 3 gram tablets) @ 3 tablets (3 gram each) per tonne of food grains lot with help of an applicator. Choose the fumigant and work out the requirement based on the following guidelines.

• 3 tablets of aluminum phosphide 3 g each per tonne of grain.
• 21 tablets of aluminium phosphide 3 g each for 28 cubic meters
• Period of fumigation is 5 days

            Mix clay or red earth with water and make it into a paste form and keep it ready for plastering all round the fumigation cover or keep ready sand snakes. Place the required number of aluminium phosphide tablets in between the bags in different layer. Cover the bags immediately with fumigation cover. Plaster the edges of cover all round with wet red earth or clay plaster or weigh down with sand snakes to make leaf proof. Keep the bags for a period of 5-7 days under fumigation based on fumigant chosen. Remove the mud plaster after specified fumigation periods and lift cover in the corner to allow the residual gas to escape. Lift the cover after few hours to allow aeration.

Pests of Cucurbits

Pests of  Cucurbits

MAJOR PESTS

1. Fruit Flies

2. Pumpkin Beetles

3. Leaf Eating Caterpillar

4. Leaf Miner

5. Snake Gourd Semi Looper

MINOR PESTS

1. Stem Gall Fly

2. Stem Borer /Clear Winged Moth

3. Stem Boring Grey Beetle

4. Plume Moth

5. Stink Bug

6. Spotted Beetle

7. Flower Feeder

1. Fruit flies: Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillet) (Tephritidae: Diptera) 
Distribution and status
         Commonest and most destructive pest throughout India. Also found in Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, China, Formosa, Japan, East Africa, Australia and the Hawaiian Islands Two other allied species common in India are Dacus ciliatis and Bactrocera dorsalis. 
Host range: Melons, tomato, chillies, guava, citrus, pear, fig, cauliflower, etc. 
 Damage symptoms 
Only the maggots cause damage by feeding on near-ripe fruits, riddling them and polluting the pulp. Damage by the maggots of this pest causes oozing of brown, resinous fluid from fruits and the fruits become distorted and malformed. The maggots feed on the pulp of fruits and cause premature dropping.  The attacked fruits decay because of secondary bacterial infection. After the first shower of the monsoon, the infestation often reaches 100 per cent. 
Bionomics 
Maggots legless and appear as headless, dirty-white wriggling creatures, thicker at one end and tapering to a point at the other. The adult flies are reddish brown with lemon-yellow markings on the thorax. Adult flies emerge from pupae in the morning hours and mate at dusk. The female, on an average, lays 58-95 eggs in 14-54 days. Egg period 1-9 days, larval period 3 - 21 days. It pupates deep in the soil. The pupae are barrel-shaped, light brown, pupal period  6-30 days. There are several generations in a year.
                                              

B. cucurbitae	B. ciliatus	B. zonata
Hyaline wings with costal band broad and prominent, anal stripes well developed and hind cross veins thickly margined with brown and grey spots at the apex	Smaller than B. cucurbitae,ferruginous brownbody, prominent dark brown oval spot on either side of 3rd tergite.	Body yellowish with pale yellow band on 3rdtergite and wing expanding10-12mm costal band incomplete and anal band wanting.

Management

• Collect infested fruits and dried leaves and dump in deep pits.
• In endemic areas, change the sowing dates as the fly population is low in hot dry conditions and at its peak during rainy season.
• Frequent rake the soil under the vine or plough the infested field after the crop to kill pupae.
• Use ribbed gourd as trap crop and apply carbaryl 1.0 kg  or malathion 1.0 L/ha in 500 L water  on congregating adult flies on the undersurface of leaves.
• Use attractants like citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, vinegar (acetic acid), dextrose and lactic acid to trap flies.
• Apply the bait spray containing 50 ml of malathion 50 EC + 0.5 kg of gur/sugar in 50 L of water per ha. Repeated at weekly intervals. Keep the bait in earthen lids placed at various corners of the field.
• Spray the bait on the maize plants grown as trap crop
• Use fly trap: Keep 5 g of wet fishmeal in plastic container  with six holes (3 mm dia), two cm from the bottom of the bag. Add a drop (0.1 ml) of dichlorvos in cotton plug and keep it inside the bag. Dichlorvos should be added every week and fishmeal renewed once in 20 days (20 traps/acre).
• Use fly traps having methyl eugenol soaked plywood piecies (2” x 2”). Collect and destroy the flies.
• Conserve pupal parasitoids viz.,Opius fletcheri, O. compensatus and O. insisus (Braconidae), Spalangia philippinensis and Pachycepoideus debrius. (Pteromalidae), Dirhinus giffardi and D. lzonensis . (Chalcididae).

Caution: 
In cucurbits, DDT, lindane 1.3 D, copper oxychloride, Bordeaux mixture and sulphur dust should not be used as these are highly phytotoxic.

2. Pumpkin beetles: Aulacophora foveicollis, A. cincta, A.intermedia (Galerucidae: Coleoptera)

Distribution and status: Widely distributed in Asia, Australia, southern Europe and Africa 
Serious pest
Host range:  Ash gourd ,pumpkin, tinda, ghia tori, cucumber and melon. 
 Damage symptoms 
Both grubs and beetles damage. Grubs remain below the soil surface feeding on roots, underground stems of creepers and on fruits lying in contact with the soil The adults feed on those parts of the plant which are above the ground. The early sown cucurbits are so severely damaged that they have to be resown.  

Bionomics 
Freshly hatched grubs are dirty white; full grown are creamy yellow, 22 mm long. Adult: A. foveicollis: red, 6.8 mm long. A. cincta: grey with black having glistening yellow-red border and A. intermedia: blue in color.
The creamy, oblong, white grubs with a slightly darker oval shield at the back lead a subterranean life and when full-grown, they measure about 12 mm in length.  Adults are oblong , 5-8 mm long, beetles are found concealed in groups. In their life span of 60-85 days, they lay about 300 oval, yellow eggs singly or in batches of 8-9 in moist soil, near the base of the plants. The eggs hatch in 6-15 days. Grub period 13- 25 days and pupate in thick-walled earthen chambers in the soil, at a depth of about 20-25 cm. The pupal stage lasts 7-17 days The life-cycle is completed in 26-37 days and the pest breeds five times in a year.

Management

1. Early planting of pumpkin during October – November to avoid damage by this pest
2. Frequent raking of soil beneath the crop to expose and kill the eggs and grubs.
3. Hand collection and destruction of infested leaves and fruits.
4. Spray malathion 50 EC 750 ml, dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml, methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml, 500 g of carbaryl 50WP in 500-750 L of water per ha or apply 7.0 kg of carbofuran. 3G per ha 3-4 cm deep in the soil near the base of the plants just after germination and irrigate.

3. Leaf eating caterpillar : Plusia peponis, P. signata and P. orichalcea (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) 

Distribution and status: Regular and serious pest all over the country. 

Damage symptoms 
The caterpillar cuts the edges of leaf lamina, folds it over the leaf and feeds from within leaf roll.  
Bionomics

         Stout adult moth lays spherical sculptured greenish white eggs singly on the tender leaves. Larva is a greenish semi looper with black warts. It is humped on a anal segment. They are active in winter. They pupate in the debris on the ground. Moths are very active at dusk. 

Management 
Collect and destroy caterpillars. 
Encourage activity of Apanteles plusia and A. taragamae
Spray malathion 50 EC 750 ml, dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml, methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml in 500-750 L of water per ha

PESTS OF CRUCIFEROUS

PESTS OF CRUCIFEROUS

Crucifers are attacked by several pests among which diamondback moth is the most challenging and destructive as it has developed resistance to more than 40 insecticides. Aphids and mustard saw fly are equally destructive under North Indian conditions.

MAJOR PESTS

1. Diamond Back Moth

2. Leaf Webber

3. Cabbage Semilooper

4. Cabbage Butterfly

5. Cabbage Borer

6. Mustard Sawfly

7. Cabbage Aphid

8. Cabbage Flea Beetle

1. Diamond back moth: Plutella xylostella (L.) (Plutellidae: Lepidoptera) 
Distribution and status:  World - wide 
Host range: Serious past of Cabbage and cauliflower, but also feeds on other crucifers and solanaceous plants.
Damage symptoms
         First instar larvae mine epidermal surface of leaves producing typical white patches. Larvae, second instar onwards feed externally making holes on the leaves and soil them with excreta. Heavy infestations leave little more than the leaf veins. 

ETL: 20 larvae/l0 plants 
Bionomics
Yellowish, pinhead sized eggs are laid singly or in batches of 2-40 on the underside of leaves. A female may lay 18-356 eggs in her life time. Egg period 2 - 9 days. Larva: 8-12 mm long, pale yellowish green in color, pointed at both the ends with fine erect black hairs scattered over the body. Larval period 8 -16 days. Pupa is a barrel shaped silken cocoon which is open at both the ends and is attaché d to the leaf surface. Pupal period 4-5 days. Adult: Small, greyish brown having pale whitish narrow wings with inner margins yellow. Three pale whitish triangular markings on hind margins of each forewing are prominent. At rest, a dorsal median patch of three diamond shaped yellowish white spots clearly visible by joining both forewings. Hind wings have a fringe of long hairs. Adult moth may live for about 20 days. Total life cycle is completed in 15-18 days. There are several generations in ayear.

Management

• Grow mustard as trap crop. Raise 2 rows of mustard for every 25 rows of cabbage. Sow first mustard crop 15 days prior to cabbage planting or plant 20 days old mustard seedling at the time of cabbage planting. Plant 35 days old cabbage seedlings.
• Install pheromone trap to monitor DBM adults @ 5 /ha and 25/ha for mass trapping
• Apply Bacillus thuringiensis formulation @1 g/L or NSKE 4% spray. Alternate Bt. sero types kurstaki (B.t.k.)and aizawal (B.t.a.)
• Reduce insects colonising on mustard to prevent defoliation of the entire plant by applying dichlorovas 350 at 10 or 15 days interval starting from 15 days after sowing.
• Conserve larval parasitoids viz., Cotesia plutellae in plains and Diadegma semiclausum in hills. Release 40,000 adults / ac, five times @ 8,000 adults/release commencing from 20 days after planting. Also encourage other parasitoids like Apanteles sicarius, Tetrastychus sokolowski (larval) Diadrumus collaris (larval pupal)  and Brachymeria excarinata (pupal parasitoids)
• Depending upon the pest intensity, spray any of the following insecticide with 500 -1000 L water/ha primordial or head initiation stage. Mix teepol or sandovit 0.5 ml/Lt of water whenever sprays are made
• Note: Primordial formation takes place between 17 and 25 days after planting, depending on variety.

Azadirachtin 0.03% 2.5-5.0 L	Lufenuron 5.4 EC  600 ml
Chlorantraniprole 18.5 SC 50 ml	Indoxacarb 14.5 SC 200-265 ml  or 15.8 SC ml 265
Chlorfenapyr 10 SC 750-1000 ml	Metaflumizone 22 SC 750-1000 ml
Diafenthiuron 50 WP 600 g	Novaluron 10 EC 750 ml
Emamectin benzoate 5 SG 150-200 g	Pyridalyl 10EC 500-750 ml
Fipronil 5 SC 800-1000 ml	Spinosad 2.5 SC  600-700 ml
Flufenoxuron 10 DC 400	Thiodicarb 75 WP 1.0-1.3 g
Quinalphos 25 EC 1000 ml

2. Leaf webber: Crocidolomia binotalis (Pyraustidae : Lepidoptera) 

Distribution and status: Regular pest of minor status but occasionally reach serious proportions

Host range: Cabbage, radish, mustard and other cruciferous plants.

Damage symptoms
         

Young larva feeds gregariously on leaves, later webs together the leaves and feeds. Due to gregarious feeding, rotting of cabbage heads and cauliflower curds are common. Regular pest of minor status but occasionally turn to serious proportions.

Bionomics
Female moth lays 40-100 eggs on underside of the leaves. Egg period 5-15 days. Larva: with red head, brown longitudinal stripes and rows of tubercles on its pale violet body. Larval period 24-50 days. Pupates in soil, pupa is an earthen cocoon. Pupal period 14-40 days. Adult: Small pale brown with forewing having distinct wavy lines and prominent wavy spots. Hind wings semi-hyaline. Life cycle is completed in 43-82 days. More than one generation may be completed in the season.

 Management 

1.    Spray phosalone 50 EC 1.0 L, fenvalerate 20 EC or cypermethrin 10 EC or deltamethrin 28 EC 250 ml, cartap hydrochloride 50 SP 500 ml, spinosad 45 SC 125 ml/ha or  azadirachtin 0.03% 2.5-5.0 L/ha. Do not repeat the insecticides with similar mode of action.

2. The pest is regulated by two larval parasitoids viz., Microbracon mellus and Apanteles crocidolmiae

3. Cabbage semilooper: Tircihoplusia ni (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)

Distribution and status:  USA, India and Sri Lanka
Host range:  Cabbage, tomato and other cruciferous vegetables.
Damage symptoms
         Caterpillars start scrapping and feeding on the leaves initially and later defoliate entire plant leaving midribs and main veins. More damage is evidenced in nurseries than in main field.

Bionomics
E ggs are greenish white, spherical and sculptured and are laid singly on ventral surface of leaves. Adults are stout moths. Head and thorax grey in colour, while abdomen is white with basal tuft of hairs. Pupation takes place in thintransparent cocoons on ventral surface of leaves. Life cycle occupies on month.

Hand pick and destroy caterpillarsManagement

1. Use light trap to attract and kill adults
2. Spray quinolphos 0.5% or endosulfan 0.1 % or malathion 0.1 %

4. Mustard Sawfly: Athalia lugens (Tenthredinidae: Hymenoptera) 
Distribution and status:  Widely distributed in Indonesia, Formosa, Myanmar and the Indian Sub-continent.
Host range:  Mustard, toria (Brassica  campestris), rapeseed, cabbage, cauliflower, knol-khol, turnip, radish, etc 

Bionomics
           Dark green larvae have 8 pairs of abdominal prolegs. There are five black stripes on the back, and the body has a wrinkled appearance. A full-grown larva measures 16-18 mm in ­length. The adults are small orange yellow insects with black markings on the body and have smoky wings with black veins. The mustard sawfly breeds from October to March and undergoes pupal diapause during summer. The adults emerge from these cocoons early in October. They live for 2-8 days and lay 30-35 eggs singly, in slits made with saw like ovipositors along the underside of the leaf margins. Egg period is 4-8 days and the larvae feed exposed in groups of 3-6 on the leaves during morning and evening. They remain hidden during the day time and, when disturbed, fall to the ground and feign death. There are 7 instars with a larval period of 16-35 days. Pupation is in water proof oval cocoons in soil and the pupal period is 11-31 clays. Life­cycle is completed in 31-34 days. It completes 2-3 generations from October to March.

Damage symptoms
The grubs alone are destructive. They bite holes into leaves preferring the young growth and skeletonize the leaves completely. Sometimes, even the epidermis of the shoot is eaten up. Although the seedlings succumb; the older plants, when attacked, do not bear seed.
Management

1. Give first irrigation 3-4 weeks after sowing as it reduces the bug population significantly. (ii) Spray 1.0 L of malathion 50 EC or 625 ml of endosulfan 35 EC or quinalphos 25 EC in 500-600 L of water per ha once in October and again in March-April.
2. Conserve larval parasitoid Perilissus cingulator Morby (Ichneumonidae) and the bacterium, Serratia marcescens Bizio (Enterobacteriaceae)

PESTS OF WHEAT

                                                      PESTS OF WHEAT

MAJOR PESTS

1. Wheat Aphid

2. Climbing Cutworm / Armyworm

3. Ghujhia Weevil

4. Gram Pod Borer

5. Termites

6. Molya Nematode / Cyst Nematode

7. Wheat-Gall Nematode

MINOR PESTS

8. Aphid

9. Hopper

10. Jassids

11. Wheat Bug

12. Wheat Thrips

13. Cut Worms

14. Pink Borer

15. Shootfly

16. Whorl Maggot

17. Flea Beetle

1. Wheat Aphid: Macrosiphum miscanthi (Aphididae: Hemiptera) Distribution and status: Widely distributed in wheat growing areas.   Host range: Wheat, barley, oats, Cynodon dactylon Damage symptoms: Like other aphids, the nymphs and adults suck the sap from plants, particularly from their ears. They  appear on young leaves or ears in large numbers during the cold and cloudy weather. The damage is particularly severe in years of cold and cloudy weather. A heavily manured, well-irrigated and succulent crop will harbour the pest for a longer period and suffer greater damage. Bionomics: The insects are green, inert, louse like. The nymphs and the females look alike, except that the latter are larger. It breeds at a fast rate during cold weather and reaches the height of its population in February-March when the ears are ripening. The females give birth to young ones) and are capable of reproducing without mating. During the active breeding season, there are no males and the rate of reproduction is very high. When the wheat crop is ripe and the summer is approaching, the winged forms of both males and females are produced and they migrate to other plants like doob grass (Cynodon dactylon). It is not known how the pest passes the summer and the monsoon season. In October-November, the aphids again appear on wheat. If available, barley is preferred to wheat. The losses due to aphids have been reported upto 36 per cent.  ETL: 5 aphids/ear head Management: Spray 375 ml of dimethoate 30 EC or oxydemeton methyl 25 EC or monocrotophos 36SL in 500 L of water per ha. Since the aphids appear first on the borders of the crop, spray only the infected strip to check further spread.  2. Armyworm: Mythimna separata (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) Distribution and status: Cosmopolitan. Sporadic and has gained prominence as a pest of wheat only recently, particularly after the introduction of Mexican varieties in India    Host range: Wheat, sugarcane maize, jowar, bajra, baru grass (Sorghum halepense) and other graminaceous crops. Damage symptoms: The freshly emerged larvae spin threads from which they suspend themselves in the air and then with the help of air currents reach from one plant to another. In the early stages, they feed on tender leaves in the central whorl and later feed on older leaves  and skeletonize them totally. The grown-up caterpillars throw out faecal pellets, which are quite prominent.          In the case of a severe attack, whole leaves, including the mid-rib, are consumed and the field looks as if grazed by cattle. The larvae feed voraciously and migrate from one field to another. The pest may also eat away ears, including the awns and immature grains. Bionomics: Pale brown adults live for 1·9 days and lay eggs singly in rows or in clusters on dry or fresh plants or on the soil. Freshly laid eggs are round, light green, turn pale yellow and finally black. Egg period 4-11 days in summer 19 days in winter. Freshly emerged larvae are very active, dull white and later turn green. In spring, the larval stage is completed in 13-14 days, but in the winter it is prolonged to 88-100 days.             In the pre-pupal stage, the insect spins a cocoon. The pre-pupal stage lasts 1-11 days during January to May. Pupation usually takes place in the soil at a depth of 0.5-5 cm, but it may also occur under dry leaves among the stubble or fresh tillers. Generally, the larvae before pupation seem to select sites near the water-channels. The pupal period is 9-13 days in May and 36-48 days in winter. Management: The pest can be suppressed by collecting and destroying the caterpillars. (ii)Spray 500 ml of dichlorvos 85 SL or 3 kg of carbaryl 50 WP or 1.0 L of quinalphos 25 EC in 500 L of water per ha. 3. Wheat-gall Nematode: Anguina tritici (Tylenchidae: Tylenchida)  Distribution and status: Cosmoplitan. It causes ear-cockle or mamni disease. The nematode is also the carrier of the bacterial yellow slime ear-rot (tundu disease) caused by Corynebacterium tritici Host range: Rye, spelt and emer. Oats and barley are immune.  Damage symptoms: If the black rounded mamni galls are soaked in water overnight, the coat softens and a large number of larvae are set free.Affected plants are more or less stunted and their leaves are wrinkled, rolled or twisted. A variable number of grains in an infested ear may produce galls. The diseased ears are shorter and thicker than the healthy ones and the glumes are spread farther apart Bionomics: Under natural conditions, the dry galls either fall to the ground from the ripe ears or they are harvested and find their way to the stores along with the healthy produce. The galls though dry remain viable for long periods. Single gall contains 800 to 30,000 larvae which revive and become active when the gall is moistened.       When wheat is sown, the galls become soft on imbibing moisture and the larvae are set free into the soil. From there, they reach the host plants, if available within a distance of one third of a metre. They rise up the plant and find a site for feeding as free parasites on the young leaves and the growing-points. Later on, as the plants approach the earing stage, they penetrate into the primordia of the flower-buds and form the galls instead of normal seed.       In the developing galls, the larvae mature into males and females, as the case may be. A single gall at this stage may contain 40 females and an equal number of males. They mate within the gall and the gravid females lay a large number of eggs. The young larvae on emerging from the eggs develop up to the second stage and then become dormant. They remain in that state in the dry galls till the next sowing season. There is only one generation in a year. Management: The wheat gall nematode can be controlled by separating the galls from the wheat seed by floating them on water in a tub. The galls, being lighter, float on the surface and may be skimmed off. The seed should then be dried before sowing. (ii)The pest can also be suppressed by sowing clean seed in uninfested soil. Only one year's fallowing is sufficient to eradicate this nematode from the fields.

PESTS OF ROSE

PESTS OF ROSE

MAJOR PESTES

1. Rose Thrips

2. Red Scale

3. Red Spider Mite

4. Rose Aphid/Lice

MINOR PESTES

1. Hairy Caterpillar

2. Castor Semilooper

3. Flower Chaffer Beetle

4. Leaf Folder

5. Leaf Cutting Bee

1. Rose thrips: Rhipiphorothrips cruentatus (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)

Distribution and status :Cosmopolitan

Host range: Grapes,rose, Lagestoemia indica, Punica granatum.

Damage symptoms : Nymph and adult lacerates leaves from the under surface of the leaves and flower buds. As a result white streaks appear on the infested leaves. Leaves show brown patches and get distorted, finally wither and drop down. Infested flowers do not open, flowers fade and drop down prematurely

Bionomics  : Adults are blackish brown and nymphs are reddish in colour. Eggs are inserted into the tissues. A female lays about 45-55 eggs, nymph, adult period are 2-3 weeks and five days respectively. 

Management: Remove and destroy the damaged leaves, twigs and dlower buds along with the pest
Use yellow sticky traps at 15/ha to monitor activity of sap feeder
Spray neem oil 3% or  methyl demeton 25 EC 1.0 L in 500-750 L of water per ha or apply carbofuran 3 G 5g/plant.

2. Rose aphid/lice:  Macrosiphum rosaeformis (plains); M. rosae (hills)(Aphididae:  
    Hemiptera) 

Distribution and status: Northern India, Punjab, Delhi, Mysore, Andhra Pradesh and the Nilgiri Hills

Host range: Rose

Damage symptoms :  Adults suck saps from the tender leaves, buds and twigs resulting in disfigurement and withering of flowers. They make punctures, producing wounds, which leaves mark as the flowers open. Black fungus develops on the honey dew excreted by the insects.

Bionomics : Small pear shaped soft-bodied aphids, light green to dark blackish green in color. Apterous form has an elongated body, large red eyes, black cornicles and yellowish green tip at the abdomen. Nymphal development completed in 11-14 days in apterous forms and 14-19 days in alate forms. Aphid multiples rapidly in late spring but cannot withstand the summer heat.
Management : Variety Damask is susceptible while Hawaii is comparatively resistant.
Spray malathion 50 EC 500 ml or methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml in 500 -750 L of water /ha.

3. Red Scale: Lindingaspis rossi (Coccidae : Hemiptera) 

Damage symptoms
         Reddish brown waxy scales completely cover the stem especially on the lower portion of the old stem and younger shoots. Tiny specks in scurvy like patches on the affected stems appear like spots of pox. The affected plant parts become disfigured, dry wither away. In case of severe infestation, the entire plant dies.

Bionomics : Female scales are wingless, comparatively larger and settle in a suitable feeding site, whereas long winged males move to fertilize the female scale. 

Management : Cut and burn affected branches

Rub off scales from twigs with cotton soaked in kerosene or diesel.
Spray malathion 50 EC or endosulfan 1.0 L in 500 - 750 L of water / ha at the time of pruning and again during March- April or apply carbofuran 3G 5g/plant or spray fish oil rosin soap 25 g /L

PESTS OF RICE

PESTS OF RICE

More than 100 insect species are associated with the rice crop at one stage or the other and 20 of these are pests of major economic significance. Among the sucking pests, BPH, GLH, WBPH, rice earhead bug pose severe threat to rice production.

MAJOR PESTS
1. Thrips
2. Green Leafhopper
3. Brown Plant Hopper
4. White Backed Plant Hopper
5. Rice Earhead Bug
6. Mealy Bug
7. Rice Black Bug

MINOR PESTS
8. Earhead Stink Bug /
Shield Bug / Red Spotted Bug
9. Rice Striped Bug
10. White Rice Leafhopper
11. Blue Rice Leafhopper
12. Zigzag Striped Leafhopper

1. Thrips: Stenchaetothrips biformis (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)
Distribution and status: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Minor but has potential to become major.

Host range: Echinochloa sp.'

Damage symptoms: Both nymphs and adults lacerate the tender leaves and suck the plant sap, causing yellow or silvery streaks on the leaves of young seedlings.  Terminal rolling and drying of leaves from tip to base is the typical symptom of attack.  It causes damage both in nursery and main field. 

ETL: 60 Nos. per 12 wet hand sweeps in nursery.
                                                                               
Bionomics: Adults dark brown, female inserts the eggs singly within the leaf tissues in young leaves.  Egg period 3-5 days, life cycle completed in 13-19 days.

Management:

• Spray endosulfan 35 EC 80 ml or monocrotophos 36 WSC 40 ml/800 m2 nursery.
• Spray Endosulfan 35 EC 1.0 L or Monocrotophos 36 WSC 1.0 L or Azadirachtin 0.15% w/w 1.5-2.5 L or Lambda-Cyhalothrin 2.5 EC 500 ml or Lambda-Cyhalothrin 5 EC 250 ml in 500 L water/ha
• Grow resistant cultivars like PTB 12, PTB 20, PT 321, H 4

2. Green leafhopper: Nephotettix virescens, N. nigropictus and N. cincticeps (Cicadellidae: Hemiptera)

Distribution and status: India, South Japan to oriental region, west of south Africa, Phillippines, Formosa, Sri Lanka

Host range: Rice, millets, grasses

Damage symptoms:Both nymphs and adults desap the leaves and cause “hopper burn” due to heavy infestation. Yellowing of leaves from tip downwards is the typical symptom caused by this pest. However, it is more important as a vector forrice tungro virus, rice yellow dwarf and transitory yellowing diseases.

ETL: 60 Nos. / 25 sweeping – Nursery 
10 Nos. / hill - Flowering stage 
5 Nos. / hill - Vegetative stage 
2 Nos. / hill - Tungro endemic area

Bionomics: Adults green with black spot and black patch on wings,   gravid female inserts 200-300 eggs in batches of 8-16  in midrib of leaf blade.   Egg period 6-7 days,  nymphs undergo five instars and become adult in 25 days.  Adult longevity 20-30 days. The population normally increases from August onwards, reaches maximum during September - October and declines from November.

Management 

1. Use resistant varieties like IR 20, IR 50, CR 1009, Co 46, PTB 2, PTB 18, IET 7301, IET 7302, IET 7303 and Vani,  Vikra marka, Lalit, Nidhi.
2. Nursery should not be raised near the lamp posts.
3. Apply neem cake @ 12.5 kg/800 m2 nursery as basal dose.
4. Apply carbofuran 3 G @ 3.5 kg or phorate 10 G @ 1.0 kg or quinalphos 25 EC 80 ml or endosulfan 35 EC 80 ml per 800 m2 nursery. Maintain the water level at 2.5 cm for 3 days after granular application.
5. Spray any of the following insecticide in 500 L water/ha

Acephate 75 SP 666-1000 g	Imidacloprid 17.8 SL 100 -125 ml
Endosulfan 35 EC 1000 ml	Quinalphos 25 EC 1000 ml
Buprofezin 25 SC 800 ml	Phosphamidon 40 SL 875 ml
Ethofenoprox 10EC 500-750 ml	Thiamethoxam 25 WG 100 g
Fipronil 5 SC 1-1.5 kg or  0.3 GR 16.7 - 25.0 kg	Lambda-Cyhalothrin 2.5 EC 500 ml or 5 EC 250 ml
Fenobucarb (BPMC) 50 EC 500-1500 ml 3.Mealybug:Brevennia rehi (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera)  Distribution and Status: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Kerala in India, Bangladesh, Thailand Host range: Rice, graminaceous weeds Damage symptoms: Large number of insects remains in leaf sheath and suck the sap, affecting plants in circular patches.  Plants become weak, yellowish and stunted.  Presence of white waxy fluff in leaf sheath is a typical symptom of damage. Bionomics: The mealy bug is small reddish white, soft-bodied, wingless insect covered with filamentous materials.  It lays 126-139 eggs in the leaf sheath and  reproduces parthenogenetically.  The egg period 1-2 days; nymphal period 17-34 days, nymphs remain within the leaf sheath and suck the plant sap.   Management   1. Parasitoids such as Adelencyrtus sp., Xanthoencyrtus sp. and Dolichoceros sp.  and coccinellid predators can be utilized. 2. Remove the grasses and trim the bunds during the main field preparation before transplanting. 3. Remove and destroy the affected plants. 4. Spray dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml/ha in initial stages of infestation.