TNAU Agritech Portal :: Crop Protection
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Crop: Sesamum
Scientific name: Sesamum indicum
Family: Pedaliaceae
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Important pests of Sesamum
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1. Leaf webber, roller and capsule borer: Antigastra catalaunalis |
Symptoms of damage
- The young larvae roll together a few top leaves and feed them.
- In the early stage of infestation, the plant dies without producing any branch or shoot.
- In later stage of attack, infested shoots stop growing.
- At flowering, larvae feed inside the flowers and on capsule formation, larvae bore into capsule and feed on developing seeds.
Identification of the pest
- Larvae: Greenish in colour with black head having short white hairs
- Adult: Medium sized moth with reddish yellow forewings.
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Management
- Two sprayings with neem formulation 0.03%
- Spray any one of the following :
- Carbaryl 50 WP 1000 g/ha in 500 litre of water
- Neem seed kernels extract (5%).
- Neem oil 2% (two rounds)
- Use alternate insecticides each time and avoid the usage of same
insecticide every time.
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2. Hawk or Dead head moth (Sphinx caterpillar): Acherontia styx |
Symptoms of damage
- The young larvae roll together a few top leaves and feed them.
- In the early stage of infestation, the plant dies without producing any branch or shoot.
- In later stage of attack, infested shoots stop growing.
- At flowering, larvae feed inside the flowers and on capsule formation, larvae bore into capsule and feed on developing seeds.
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Caterpillar feeding |
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Identification of the pest
- Larvae: Greenish in colour with black head having short white hairs
- Adult: Medium sized moth with reddish yellow forewings.
Adult
- Brownish giant hawk moth.
- Thorax with a characteristic skull marking.
- Abdomen has violet and yellow band.
- Forewings are dark brown and Hind wings are yellowish with 2 black lines.
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Management
- Deep ploughing exposes the pupae for predation to insectivorous birds.
- Hand picking collection and destruction of caterpillars.
- Two rounds of dusting with phosalone 4% or malathion 5%, first at 30 DAS and second at 45 DAS.
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3. Linseed gall fly: Dasyneura sesame |
Symptoms of damage
- Fully grown larvae make a hole in the bud and damage the flower.
Identification of the pest
- Larva: Maggots are whitish, legless.
- Adult: Mosquito like fly.
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Management
- The infested buds should be removed and destroyed to reduce further incidence of the pest.
- conserve larval parasite Pteromalus fasciatus Thomas
- Spray crop at bud initiation stage with dimethoate @ 0.03%.
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4. Gall fly: Asphondylia sesami |
Symptoms of damage
- Maggots feed inside the floral bud
- Leading to formation of gall like structure which do not develop in to flower/capsules.
- The affected buds wither and drop.
Identification of the pest
- Larva: Maggots are whitish, legless and with body tapering exteriorly.
- Adult: Mosquito like fly.
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Infested flower buds |
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Management
- Two sprayings with neem formulation 0.03%
Spray any one of the following :
- Carbaryl 50 WP 1000 g/ha in 500 litre of water
- Neem seed kernels extract (5%).
- Neem oil 2% (two rounds)
- Use alternate insecticides each time and avoid the usage of same
insecticide every time.
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5. Leaf hopper: Orosius albicinctus |
Symptoms of damage
- Curling of leaf edges and leaves turn red or brown.
- The leaves dry up and shed.
- Vector of sesamum phyllody
Identification of the pest
- Adult: Light brown coloured hoppe
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Management
Spray any one of the following :
- Methyl demeton 25% EC 1200 m l/ha
- Quinalphos 25%EC 2000 ml/ha
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6. Aphids: Aphis gossypii |
Symptoms of damage
- Crinkling and curling of leaves.
- Leaves appear shiny and sticky due to honeydew excreted by the insects.
- Later sooty mold grows on honey dew and leaves have a black coating.
Identification of the pest
- Adult: Yellowish to dark.
Management
- Seed treatment with imidacloprid (5g/kg seed) keeps the crop free of sucking pests over a month.
- Paint on stem with a mixture of monocrotophos: water (1:4) or imidacloprid: water (1:20) at 20, 40 and 60 days of sowing.
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Updated on April 25, 2014 |
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