Symptoms of damage :
- Newly hatched larvae feed on the soft parts of the capsules
- Affected buds show small bore holes
- The infested buds rotten with a foul smelling ooze coming out of the apices
Identification of the pest:
- Larva : Maggot is dirty white in colour
- Adult: Flies are ash coloured with light brown legs.
Management :
- Application of dimethoate 30 EC @ 600-650 ml/ha or malathion 50 EC @ 1.00 litre/ha or phosphomidon 100 EC@ 150-200 ml/ha. About 600 to 650 litre of water is needed for spraying in about one hectare area.