Gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera , Noctuidae, lepidioptera )

Damaging stage: larva

Symptoms of damage:

• Defoliation in the early stages
• Larva’s head alone thrust inside the pods and the rest of the body hanging out.
• Pods with round holes.

Identification of the pest

• Eggs – are spherical in shape and creamy white, laid singly
• Larva shows color variation from greenish to green with dark brown-grey lines laterally on the body with lateral white lines. It also has dark and pale bands.
• Pupa – brown in color, occurs in soil, leaf, pod, and crop debris
• Adult – light pale brownish yellow stout Fore wing grey to pale brown with-shaped speck. Hind wings are pale smoky white with a broad blackish outer margin.

Management

• For pod borers, raise one row of sunflower as intercrop for every 9 rows of pigeon peas and plant maize as border
• Pheromone traps for Helicoverpa armigera 12/ha
• Mechanical collection of grown-upp larva and blister beetle
• Heli NPV
• Apply any one of the following insecticides:
• Azadirachtin 03 % WSP 2500-5000 g/ha
• Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki 5%WP1000-1250 g/ha
• Dimethoate 30% EC 1.2 l/ha
• Emamectin benzoate 5% SG 220 g/ha
• Spinosad 45%SC 125-162 ml/ha
• NSKE 5% twice followed by triazophos 05%
• Neem oil 2%