Gram caterpillar: Helicoverpa armigera
Symptoms of damage:
- Early instar feeds on foliage
- Grown up larvae mainly bore into the fruits.
Identification of pest:
- Eggs: Are spherical in shape and creamy white in colour, laid singly
- Larva: Shows colour variation from greenish to brown
- Pupa: Brown in colour, occurs in soil, leaf, pod and crop debris
- Adult: Female is brownish yellow stout moth, Male is light greenish in colour with “V” shaped markings.
Management:
- Collect and destroy the infected fruits and grown up larvae
- Setup pheromone trap with Helilure at 15/ha
- Six releases of Trichogramma chilonis @ 50,000/ha per week coinciding with flowering time
- Release Chrysoperla carnea at weekly interval at 50,000 eggs or grubs / ha from 30 DAS.
- Spray HaNPV at 1.5x10 12 POB/ha along with cotton seed oil 300 g/ha to kill larvae.
- Spray carbaryl 50 WP 2 g/lit or B. thuringiensis 2 g/lit
- Provide poison bait with carbaryl 1.25 kg, rice bran 12.5 kg, jaggery 1.25 kg and water 7.5 lit/ha or spray any one of the following insecticide
- Spray any one of the following insecticides
| Insecticide | Dose |
| Emamectin benzoate 5 % SG | 4 g/10 lit. |
| Flubendiamide 20 WDG | 6.0 g /10 lit. |
| Indoxacarb 14.5 % SC | 6.5 ml/10 lit. |
| Novaluron 10 % EC | 7.5 ml/10 lit. |
| Spinosad 45 % SC | 3.2 ml/10 lit. |
| Thiodicarb 75 % WP | 2.0 g/lit. |