SURVEILLANCE FOR MANAGEMENT OF SUCKING INSECT-PESTS OF COTTON

Ludhiana, August 4, 2017: The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and the State Department of Agriculture are jointly conducting extensive surveys in the cotton belt of Punjab for sucking insect pests like whitefly, jassid and thrips. The recent survey has revealed that in general, the incidence of whitefly is below economic threshold level (ETL - 6 adults/leaf), but in some fields of villages Dharampura and Alamgarh in Fazilka district; Buladewala and Behman Diwana in Bathinda; Goniana in Shri Muktsar Sahib; Deliyanwali and Khara in Faridkot district, the incidence is above ETL. Farmers need not panic, advised Dr Vijay Kumar, an entomology expert, PAU. He stressed upon the cotton growers to regularly survey their field. If the incidence of whitefly is above ETL (6 adults/leaf before 10 am), spray either 80g Ulala 50 WG (flonicamid) or 200g Polo/Craze/Ruby/Ludo/Shoku 50 WP (diafenthiuron) per acre, he said. For the management of whitefly nymphs, spray either Oberon/Voltage 22.9 SC (spiromesifen) @ 200 ml/acre or Lano 10 EC (pyriproxyfen) @ 500 ml/acre, he added.

Incidence of thrips has appeared in some cotton fields, but rainfall would lead to its reduction, he observed. This pest does not cause economic damage at this stage of the cotton crop, he said. For its management, spray either 200 g Polo/Craze/Ruby/Ludo 50 WP (diafenthiuron) or 800 ml Fosmite/E-mite/Volthion 50 EC (ethion) or 500 ml/acre Curacron/Carina 50 EC (profenophos), he advised.

Similarly, for jassid, regular surveillance should be carried out, he suggested. If 50 per cent of the plants show yellowing and curling at the margins of the fully formed leaves in the upper canopy of the plants, spray either Ulala 50WG (flonicamid) @ 80g or Osheen 20 SG (dinotefuran) @ 60g or Actara/Extra Super/Dotara/Thomson 25WG (thiamethoxam) @ 40 g per acre. Farmers are advised to remain vigilant and undertake need-based spray of insecticides, he stressed.