• Withering and drying of central shoot -“dead heart”
• Red mining in the midrib
• Bore holes visible on the stem near the nodes.
• Tender folded leaves have parallel “shot hole”
• Affected parts of stem may show internally tunneling   caterpillars.

Identification of the pest:

• Egg: Scale-like flat oval eggs in batches on the under surface of leaves near the midribs
• Larva: Yellowish brown with a brown head and prothoracic shield
• Adult: Moth is medium size, straw coloured

Management:

• Collect the stubbles after harvest and burn to destroy diapausing borers
• Set up light trap till midnight to attract and kill the stem borer moth
• Mix any one of the following insecticides with sand (total quantity of 50 kg)
• Phorate 10G@ 8 kg
• Carbofuran 3G@ 17 kg
• Carbaryl 50 WP@ 1 kg (500 lit spray fluid/ha)