Pigeonpea is one of the most important grain legume crops of tropical and subtropical environments. More than 200 species of insects live and feed on pigeonpea, though relatively few cause heavy annual yield losses. Among the important insect pests, podborer has become serious production constraint in pigeonpea.
The caterpillars destroy buds, flowers and pods. Larva feeds on pods by making holes, and is seen feeding with the head alone inside and rest of the body hanging out. If flowers and pods not available, larvae will feed on foliage also.
Medium sized light brown moths measuring about 40 mm across the wings have a dark speck and dark area on the forewings. Hind wings are light in colour with a dark patch at the outer end.
Management:
- Summer ploughing to expose the hidden stages of the pest to natural predation.
- Installation of H. armigera pheromone traps at 3-4traps /acre.
-Fixing of bird perches with branched tree twigs to attract predatory birds for insect predation. Sow redgram mixed with pundi or local sorghum for attracting birds.
- Hand collection of grownup larvae of the pod borer by manually shaking the plants and dislodging them.
- First spray can be taken up with Thiodicarb 75 WP 0.6 g or Profenophas 50 EC 2 ml or methomyl 40 SP 0.6 g per litre of water to control eggs
- Second spray with spraying of 5 per cent neem seed kernel extract
- Third spray with viral pesticide, HaNPV at 100 LE /acre along with 0.5 per cent jaggery and 0.1 per cent boric acid.
Severe infestation
If the infestation is severe, new insecticide molecules like 0.3 ml indoxacarb 14.5 SC or 0.1 ml spinosad 45 SC or 0.75ml Navaluron 10 EC or 2.5ml chlorpyriphos 20 EC can be applied. For one hectare area around 500 litres of spray solution is recommended.
(Dr. D. N. Kambrekar, Scientist,Regional Agricultural Research Station, UAS Campus, Bijapur, Karnataka, email: kambrekardn@gmail.com: Phone: 08352- 230568)
