Symptoms of damage:

• Dead heart in 1-3 months old crop, which can be easily pulled out
• Rotten portion of the straw coloured dead heart emits an offensive odour
• Bore holes at the base just above the ground level

Identification of the pest:

• Larva: Five dark violet stripes and dark brown head
• Adult : Pale greyish brown moth with white hind wings

Management:

ETL: 15 % dead heart

• Early season planting (Dec-Jan)
• Trash mulching on ridges on 3 days after planting (DAP)
• Intercropping with green gram, black gram, daincha effectively checks shoot borer
• Spray Granulosis virus at 1.5 x 10 12 POB/ha twice on 35 and 50 DAP or release 125 gravid females of Sturmiopsis inferens /ha on 30 and 45 DAP
• Apply the following insecticides Soil application Carbofuran 3 CG 33 kg
• Spraying any one of the following Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC 375 ml/ha Fipronil 5% SC 1500-2000 ml/ha Fipronil 0.3% GR 25-33.3 Kg/ha Quinalphos 25% EC 2000 ml/ha Phosalone 35 EC 1000 ml NSKE 5 % 25 Kg/ha

• Carbofuran 3 CG 33 kg

• Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC 375 ml/ha
• Fipronil 5% SC 1500-2000 ml/ha
• Fipronil 0.3% GR 25-33.3 Kg/ha
• Quinalphos 25% EC 2000 ml/ha
• Phosalone 35 EC 1000 ml
• NSKE 5 % 25 Kg/ha