Mustard

Insect Management

Introduction

The insects that have been attacking the cruciferous crops in India are listed below:

Common Name	Scientific Name
Cabbage butterfly
Bihar hairy caterpillar	Diacrisia obliqua
Mustard aphids	Lipadhis erysimi
Painted bug	Bargada cruciferorum
Pea leaf - minor	Phytomyza atricarnis
Mustard saw fly	Athalia proxima

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Mustard Aphid Lipadhis erysimi

Local Name: Cheenpa, Mahun, Mahon, Tela, Mawa,Moyla Lahi.
Order : Hemiptera
Sub order : Homoptera
Family : Aphididae

• Mustard aphids are found in U.P., M.P., Punjab, Maharashtra etc.
• A different type of life cycle has been found in the plains and in the hills.

Nature of Damage

Aphids appear in the last week of November or early December in U.P. The maximum damage and population is reached in the month of February. Both the nymphs and the adults suck the plant sap from the tender portion of the plant. Hundreds and thousands of these tiny aphids may be seen on a single leaf or tender shoot. In mild cases the shoot wilts and in severe cases it just dies.

• The honeydew secreted by such a large number if aphids cover practically the whole surface of the tender leaves or shoots.
• The cloudy and humid weather is most suitable for the multiplication of aphids.

Life Cycle in the Plains

• They appear in November - December on mustard plants.
• Females are more than males.
• They produce many nymphs.
• Nymphs become adults in 3 to 7 days.
• The nymphs produce apterous offsprings.
• There are several generations during the cold season.

Life Cycle in the Hills

• In hills the life cycle of the aphids is just like european countries.
• Aphids exhibit peculiar mode of development and polymorphism in different generations.
• Migratory aphids can be of the following types:
  1. Fundatrices
  2. Fundatrigeniae
  3. Migratory
  4. Alienicolae
  5. Suxuparae
  6. Sexuales

Fundatrices

• They are females.
• These are apterous, viviparous and parthenogenetic.
• They emerge in spring from overwintered eggs.
• Only one generation is found in this group.

Fundatrigeniae

• They are the progenies of Fundatrices.
• These are also apterous, parthenogenic, viviparous females.
• They live on the primary host.
• They complete 3 generations.

Migratory

• They develop in the second, third or later generations of Fundatrigeniae.
• They consist of winged, poarthogenic, viviparous females.
• They develop on the primary host.
• They fly to the secondary host from the primary host.

Alienicolae

• They are parthogenetic, viviparous females developing for the most part on the secondary host.
• They are similar to Fundatrigeniae with the difference that they live on the secondary host.
• Many generations are formed comprising of both apterous and winged forms.

Suxuparae

• They are parthenogenetic, viviparous females.
• They develop on the secondary host.
• They migrate to the primary host at the end of summer.

Sexuales

• They are the progeny of the Suxuparae produced in the primary host.
• They comprise of sexually reproducing males and females.
• The eggs hatch out in the spring.

Control

• Early sowing and early maturing varieties should be grown to escape the damage.
• Resistant varieties should be grown.
• The crop can be dusted with any of the following insecticides:
  1. Malathion 5% dust @ 25 kgs / ha.
  2. Carbaryl 10% dust @ 25 kgs / ha.
  3. Fenetrothion 5% dust @ 20 kgs/ha.
  
  
• Spraying of any one of the following insecticides has also been found effective in controlling Aphids in Mustard :
  1. Phosphomidon 100 Ec @ 0.250 lit/ha.
  2. Rogor 30 Ec @ 1.00 lit/ha.
  3. Thiodan 35 Ec @ 1.25 lit/ha.
  4. Formothion 25 Ec @0.650 lit/ha.
  5. Malathion 50 EC @ 0.600 lit/ha.


• The following insects feed on Aphids:
  1. Coccinella septempunctata - Lady bird beetle.
  2. Chrysopa sp. - Aphid Lion
  3. Syrphid sp. - Maggots of Syrphid.

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Cabbage head borer

Hellula undalis
(Pyralidae : Lepidoptera)

Widely distributed. Attacks cabbage, cauliflower, mustard and other cruciferous crops. Moths are pale greyish-brown, suffused with reddish colour. Forewings have grey wavy lines, a apical spot and pale edged dark lunule; hind wings are pale dusky, darker in apical area. Larvae (15-18mm) are pale whitish brown with 4 or 5 pinkish - brown longitudinal stripes.

Nature of damage

Caterpillers initially mine the leaves and make it white papery. Latter they feed on leaves and bore into stems, entrance hole is covered with silk and excreta. Larvae of Helicoverpa armigera also feed on mustard pods.

Control

• Sprays of carbage or monocrotophos are effective.

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Diamond - back month

Plutella xylostella
(Yponomeutidae : Lepidoptera)

• Majro pest of crucifers with a world-wide distribution.

Adult is a small greyish moth with three white triangular spots along the inner-margin of the forewings. When at rest the triangular markings of opposite wings appear as diamond shaped markings and hence the name. Larva is pale green, body tapering slightlt at both ends.

Nature of Damage

Caterpillars feed on the foliage. The leaves present a withered appearance or may be eaten up completely. It also bores into pods and feeds on developing seed.

Control

• The insect shows high tolerance to a number of insecticides, however, triazophos is effective.

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Leaf webber

Crocidolomia binotalls
(Pyralidae : Lepidoptera)

Serious pest of mustard in Madhya Pradesh. Attacks all cruciferous crops, specially cabbage. Adult months are yellowish-brown, forewings in parts have reddish-brown distinct and indistinct wavy lines and prominent white spots. Near to the thorax forewing has black tuft of hair. Hind wings are white with dark brown apical area.

• Larvae (18-20mm) are pale yellowish - brown, with a series of lateral and sub-lateral black spots and specks.

Nature of damage

Newly hatched larvae feed initially on chlorophyll of young leaves and later on older leaves, buds and pods, make webbings and live within. Severely attacked plants are defoliated. Seeds in the pods are eaten away.

Control

• Carbaryl or monocrotophos sprays are effective.

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Painted Bug Bargrada cruciferarum.

Local Name : Sundar, Jhanga , Dagila keet. Order : Hemiptera. Suborder : Heteroptera. Family : Pentatomidae.

• The painted bug is found all over India.
• The attack of the pest is observed a few days after sowing.
• In the event of a major attack the crop may even need resowing.
• The eggs can eitherm be laid on the leaf stalks,leaves ,stems or in the soil near the roots in a cluster.
• The eggs will be pale yellow when freshly laiod turning to pink at the time of hatching.
• The hatching period varies from 3 to 7 days.
• The newly hatched nymph is small, bright orange in colour with dark red eyes.
• The adult bug is flatish, bright black with reddish yellow spots and dots.

Damage caused

• The nymph and the cause the damage.
• They suck the sap from the leaves, stems and tender parts of the plants.
• The attacked plants look sickly and dried up and may even have a stunted appearance.
• A black fungus is attracted to the feeding point due to which brown or black spots appear.
• They even suck the sap from the flowers and the pods resulting in poor maturation and low yield.
• The are noticed in a great number on the threshing floor after the harvest.

Control

• Since the bugs congregate on the leaves and stems they can be collected manually and destroyed.
• Irrigate the field by mixing 5 kgs. Of crude oil emulsion /ha to destroy the hiding bugs in cracks and crevices.
• Dust the crop with any of the following insecticides:
  1. Malathion 5% dust @ 25 kgs/ha.
  2. Carbaryl 10 % dust @ 25 kgs /ha.


• The crop can be sprayed with any one of the following insecticides:
  1. Malathion 50EC @ 1.25 lit/ha.
  2. Dimecron 100 EC @ 0.250 lit/ha.
  3. Rogor 30 EC @ 1.00 lit/ha.
  
  
• The pest has the following natural enemies:
  1. Liophanurus samueli.
  2. Typhodytes sp.
  3. Alophora sp.

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Mustard Saw Fly Athalia proxima.

Local Name: Sarson ki Illi.
Order : Hymenoptera.
Family : Tentherdinidaee.

The mustard saw fly is found practically all over India. It is also widely found in Indonesia, Formosa and Burma. Its activity is generally confined to the period of October to march In certain western regions, it is reported to be prevalent round about August.

Damage Caused

The larval stage damages the crop by voraciously feeding on the young crop. Its feeding activities are generally confined to the mornings and evenings. As a result of the feeding the leaves become full of holes.

• The plants become dry or remain stunted
• In case of severe infestation all the leaves are eaten up and the plant dies.
• The young grub is greenish Grey in colour and its body surface is hairless.
• It begins feeding on the margin of the leaf and as it grows the colour gets darker and darker.
• The fully-grown grub has 5 stripes on its back.

Control

• Hand picking of the grubs early in the morning has been found useful in controlling the population of the grubs.
• Dusting the crop with any one of the following has been found useful:
  1. Malathion 5% dust @ 25 kgs/ha.
  2. Thiodan 4% dust @ 30 kgs/ha.
  3. Carbaryl 5% dust @ 25 kg/ha.


• The crop can also be sprayed with any one of the following insecticides to destroy the pest:
  1. Dimecron 100 EC @ 0.250 lit/ha.
  2. Thiodan 55 EC @ 1.0 lit/ha.
  3. Nuvan 100 EC@ 0.250 lit/ha


• 0.1 % spray of Brestnol 45 WP protect the crop from the attack of grubs.
• It acts as a antifeedant due to which the larvae are unable to locate the host and eventually die.
• Their Natural enemies is Exacrodus populance.

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