Crop Protection :: Pests of cole

crops
Insect pests of cole crops

Crops: Cole crops

Family: Cruciferaceae
 Major pests of cole crops
Diamond back
moth: Plutella xylostella
Symptoms Identification Management
Cabbage borer:
Hellula undalis
Symptoms Identification Management
Leaf webber:
Crocidolomia binotalis
Symptoms Identification Management

Cabbage green
semilooper: Trichoplusia ni Symptoms Identification Management

Cabbage butterfly:
Pieris brassicae, P.rapae
Symptoms Identification Management

Tobacco caterpillar
: Spodoptera litura
Symptoms Identification Management

Cabbage aphid
:Brevicoryne brassicae
Symptoms Identification Management

Mustard aphid
: Lipaphis erysimi
Symptoms Identification Management
 1. Diamond back moth:
Plutella xylostella

Affected curd Scrabbing the leaves

• Symptoms Young caterpillars cause small yellow mines on leaves
• Scrapping of epidermal leaf tissues producing typical whitish patches on
leaves
• Full-grown larvae bite holes in the leaves and feeds on curd
 Identification of the Pest
Egg - minute yellow coloured.
Eggs laid singly or in groups – upper
surface of leaves.
Larva - Pale yellowish green caterpillar
Pupa: Pupation takes place on the foliage
in a transparent cocoon
Larva Adult
It is a small greyish brown moth
Forewings - has three white triangular
spots along the inner-margin
When at rest the triangular markings of
opposite wings gives diamond shape
Hind wings – have a fringe of long fine
hairs
Adult
 Management
Remove and destroy all debris and stubbles after harvest
Grow mustard as trap crop at 2:1 ratio (cabbage: mustard) to
attract DBM for oviposition at least 10 days ahead of planting of
main crop.
Spray mustard crop with dichlorvos 76 WSC 0.076% to avoid
dispersal of the larvae
Pheromone traps @ 12/ha
Crop rotation with cucurbits, beans, peas, tomato and melon
Larval parasitoid: Diadegma semiclausm @ 1,00000/ha (Hills –
below 25 –27º C) Cotesia plutellae(plains) at 20000/ha release
from 20 days after planting
Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki 2g/lit
Neem seed kernel extract 5%
Cartap hydrochloride 0.5% at 10,20 and 30 DAS (nursery) and
primordial stage
 Insecticide Dose
Azadirachtin 5% Neem 5.0 ml/10 lit.

Lufenuron 5.4 % EC 1.2 ml/lit.

Spinosad 2.5 % SC 1.2 ml/lit.
Trichlorofon 50 % EC 1.0 ml/lit.
 Cabbage borer: Hellula undalis

Symptoms of damage
The larva webs the
Webbing leaves and bore into the
stem, stalks or leaf veins

Bore hole on the stem

 Identification of the pest
Egg: Yellow shiny eggs –
on the leaves
Larva: Full grown larva-
greyish –yellow with
Larvae seven purplish –brown
longitudinal stripes

Adult: Pale greyish brown

moth with wavy grey
markings
Adult
 Management

Remove and destroy the webbed leaves with

caterpillars within
Set up light traps@ 1/ ha
Encourage the activity of parasitoid:
Cotesia crocidolomiae
Spray malathion 50 EC @ 0.1% or carbaryl 0.2%
 4. Cabbage green semilooper: Trichoplusia ni
Symptoms of damage
Scrabbing of leaves initially and defoliation

Identification of the pest

Egg - Greenish –white, spherical and
sculptured eggs.
Eggs laid singly on ventral surface of
leaves.
Larva - Slender and green in colour with
Larva light wavy lines
Adult: Stout, brown moth, head and
thorax grey in colour, abdomen white
Forewings grey wavy in colour with a
slendery – marking

Adult
 Management

Hand pick and destroy the caterpillars

Set up light trap @1/ha
Spray insecticides like malathion 50EC
@ 0.1% ha
5. Cabbage butterfly: Pieris brassicae, P.rapae

Symptoms of damage :Defoliation

Bores in the heads of cabbage

Identification of the pest:

Larva
Velvetty bluish green in colour
with black dots
Eggs Yellow dorsal and lateral stripes
covered with white hairs.

Larvae
 Pupa
Adult

Pupa: chrysalis which takes place in leaves and stem.

Adult: White butterfly
 Management
• Collect and destroy caterpillars in the early
stage of attack
• Conserve parasitoids like Cotesia glomeratus
• Spray insecticides like quinalphos 25EC
@1000 ml
6. Tobacco caterpillar: Spodoptera litura

Symptoms of Damage

Damage leaves and heads of cabbage and

cauliflower
Damage leaves of radish and beet root
 Identification of the pest
Egg: -masses appear golden
brown
Larva
Young caterpillars are light green
with black head or black spots
Larvae Gregarious in the early stages
Well grown caterpillars are grey
or dark brown
Adult
Forewings – brown colour with
wavy white marking
Hindwings- white colour with a
Adult brown patch along the margin
 Management
Plough the soil to expose and kill the pupae
Grow castor along border as trap crop
Flood the field to drive out the hibernating larvae
Set up light trap @1/ha
Pheromone traps (Pherodin SL) @ 15/ ha to attract male moths
Collect and destroy egg masses in castor and tomato
Hand pick grown up larvae and kill them
Spray Sl NPV @ 1.5 X 1012 POBs / ha + 2.5 Kg crude sugar + 0.1 %
teepol
Poison bait:
Rice bran 5 Kg + Molasses or Brown sugar 500g + Carbaryl 50 WP
500g+ 3lit of water/ha
Mix the ingredients well – Kept around the field in the evening hours
Spray chlorpyriphos 20 EC 2lit/ha or dichlorovos 76 WSC 1 lit/ha
7. Cabbage aphid: Brevicoryne brassicae
Symptoms of damage
Yellowing
Crinkling and cupping
Distorted primordia
Presence of white cast skin at the base of the plant

Identification of the pest

Nymphs and adults yellowish green with wavy white filament
over the body
 Management
Install yellow sticky trap @12 no/ha to monitor
“macropterous” adults (winged adult).

Spray neem oil 3 % with 0.5 ml Teepol/lit

Insecticide Dose
Azadirachtin 0.03% WSP (300 ppm) 5.0 g/lit.

Dimethoate 30 % EC 6.0 ml/10 lit.

Malathion 50 % EC 1.5 ml/lit.

Phosalone 35 % EC 1.5 ml/lit.
Quinalphos 25 % EC 1.0 ml/lit.
 7. Mustard aphid: Lipaphis erysimi
Symptoms of damage
Both nymph and adults suck the sap
from leaves, buds and pods.
Curling of infested leaves and at
advanced stage plants may wither and
die.
Plants remain stunted and sooty molds
grow on the honey dew.

Identification of the pest

Aphids - are small, soft-bodied, pearl-shaped
insects
 Management

Set up yellow stick trap to monitor aphid

population.
Conserve the natural enemies ,
Cocciniella septempunctata,
Menochilus sexmaculata,

Spray dimethoate@ 2 ml /lit