Integrated Pest Management

Defoliators

Bihar hairy caterpillar (Spilosoma obliqua)

Identification & Monitoring

• The adult is a medium sized brown moth with a red abdomen.
• Eggs are laid in cluster on the under side of leaves.
• The larvae are covered with long yellowish to black hairs.
• Pupation takes place in the soil under dry foliage and debris.

Damage

• Young larvae feed gregariously on chlorophyll mostly on the under surface of the leaves, due to which the leaves look like brownish-yellow in colour.
• The attack of this insect begins during the last week of August.
• In later stages the larvae eat the leaves from the margin.
• The leaves of the plant give an appearance of net or web.

Cultural Control

• Deep summer ploughing.
• Use tolerant varieties.
• Avoid pre monsoon sowing.
• Use optimum seed rate.
• Adequate planting spacing should be provided
• Intercrop soybean either with (early maturing) Pigeon pea variety or maize or sorghum in the sequence of 4:2 should be practiced.
• Proper crop rotation with dissimilar crops should be followed.

Mechanical Control

• Collect & destroy infested plant parts, egg masses and young larvae.
• Field Sanitation : Remove the infested plant parts at least once in 10 days and bury them in compost pit to monitor and reduce the populations of Bihar hairy caterpillar, etc. Traps are used for monitoring the pest situation.
• Light Trap: Install one light trap (200W mercury vapour lamp) per hectare to catch the adults of some nocturnal pests such as hairy caterpillar (positively phototropic).

Biological Control

Chemical Control

• Apply chemical pesticides only if pest population crosses the ETL.

• Apply endosulfan 35 EC @ 1200 - 1500 ml/ha.
  OR

• Chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 1.5 lit/ha
  OR

• Trizophos 40 EC @ 0.8 Lit/ha
  OR

• Quinolphos 25 Ec @ 1.5 lit/ha
  OR

• Methomyl 40 SP @ 100g/ha
  OR

• Ethion 50 EC @1.5 lit/ha
  OR

• Ethofenprox 10 EC @ 1 lit/ha.

• Dust endosulfan 4% or quinalphos 1.5% @ 25kg/ha when their population is likely to reach 10/m row length (ETL). Repeat it as needed.                                                                                          

Gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera)

Identification & Monitoring

• The moth is stoutly built and yellowish brown
• The caterpillar are greenish with dark broken grey lines along the sides of the body.
• Eggs are yellowish, shiny and laid singly on all parts of plant.
• Pupation took place in the soil
• Use pheromone traps for monitoring.
• Visual observations at weekly intervals at all stages.
• Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to know the range of pest incidence.

Damage

• The attack of this insect normally occurs in the month of August.
• The young larvae feeds on the chlorophyll of young leaves and skeletonize it.
• They feed voraciously on the foliage in early stage, may defoliate the plant and later they feed on flowers and pods.

Cultural Control

• Deep summer ploughing
• Timely sowing

Mechanical Control

• Install pheromone traps at a distance of 50 m @ 5 traps/ha for each insect pest.
• Erect Bird perches @ 50/ha.
• Clip terminal shoots on 100 days of crop growth.
• Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to kill moth population
• Remove and destroy the damage plant parts.

Biological Control

Chemical Control

• Apply chemical pesticides only if pest population crosses the ETL.

• Dusting with endosulfan 4% or Fanvalerate 0.4% or Quinolphos 1.5%
  @ 25 to 30 kg/ha

• Spray with endosulfan 35 EC @ 1200 ml/ha or Quinolphos 25 EC @ 1.0 lit/ha.

• In case of severe infestation apply Profenophos + Cypermethrin 44 EC @ 1lit/ha.                                                                                          

Tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera litura)

Identification & Monitoring

• The adults are light brown moths with dark spots and longitudinal yellow lining on both the sides, a wing span of about 30 mm and mottled forewings.
• The adults are active during night time and remain on the lower leaf surface on the ground during day time.
• The egg masses appear golden brown on the upper surface of leaves.
• Young larvae are light green in color.
• The pupae are reddish brown and is in the soil close to the plant.
• Organise regular pest monitoring and assess bio-control potential at every 10 days interval.
• Record pest incidence at each spot in 5 plants at random and 12 spots per ha.
• Monitor the flight intensity of the larvae using traps like pheromone trap.

Damage

• The larvae attack the crop normally in the month of August and September.
• The larvae feed on the chlorophyll of the leaves. The eaten leaves give the appearance of whitish yellow web.
• The soft pods are chewed by the larvae and the thick pods are bored and then the grain is eaten up.

Cultural Control

• Deep summer ploughing.
• Avoid pre-monsoon sowing.
• Sowing of tolerant varieties like MAUS 47 and JS 80-21.
• Optimum seed rate (70-100 kg/ha) should be used.
• Crop rotation should be followed.
• Destroy crop residues

Mechanical Control

• Collect and destroy infested plant parts, egg masses and feeding larva of the pest.
• Install sex pheromone trap @ 10 traps/ha for early deduction of the pest.
• Erection of bird perches @ 10-12/ha.
• Field Sanitation : Remove the infested plant parts at least once in 10 days and bury them in compost pit to monitor and reduce the populations of tobacco caterpillar. Traps are used for monitoring the pest situation.
• Install one light trap (200W mercury vapour lamp) per hectare to catch the adults of some nocturnal pests such as tobacco caterpillar (positively phototropic).
• Install five sex pheromone traps per hectare (change septa after 3 weeks), specific for male adults of tobacco caterpillar (separate pheromone for each).
• Cow dung ash dusting and clay suspension spray as asphyxiants (in small area and low incidence of sucking insects).

Biological Control

Chemical Control

• Apply Chemical pesticides only if pest population crosses the ETL.

• Apply Endosulfan 35 EC @ 1000 ml/ha
  or

• Deltarnathrin 2.8 EC @ 750 ml/ha
  or

• Quinolphos 25 EC @ 1000ml/ha
  or

• Ethofenprox 10 EC @ 1000ml/ha

• In case of severe infestation apply Polytrin 44% @ 1 lit/ha
  or

• Profenophos 50 EC 2.00 lit/ha

• Always use hollow cone noozle for spraying.

• Dust endosulfan 4% or quinalphos 1.5% @ 25kg/ha when their population is likely to reach 10/m row length (ETL). Repeat it as eeded.                                                                                          

Sap Feeders

Thrips (Thrips tabaci)

Identification & Monitoring

• Thrips are tiny, slender insects that feed by rasping off the outer layer of leaves and sucking out the juices.
• On seedling plants thrips may be found on the upper and lower leaf surfaces and within folded leaves.

Damage

• This is a polyphagous pest.
• The main damage causing stage is the nymph and adult of the insect.
• This insect is a vigrous sap sucker.
• The nymph and adult suck and lick the plant sap from the leaves.
• The infected leaf turn whitish-brown in colour.
• In case of heavy infestation the leaf get dry and drop down and slowly the plant becomes leafless.

Mechanical Control

• Cowdung ash dusting and clay suspension spray as asphyxiants (in small area and low incidence of sucking insects).

Biological Control

Chemical Control

• Apply chemical pesticides only if pest population crosses the ETL.

• Spray 0.01% endosulphan 35 EC or 0.05 quinalphos 25 EC or 0.01% malathion.
  OR

• Spray monocrotophos 36 SC, oxydemeton methyl (Metasystox) 25 EC, or dimethoate (Rogor) 30 EC @ 10-12 ml in 10 I water (750 -1000 I spray/ha) at the crop age of 35-40 days and repeat after 15 days if needed.                                                                                  

White fly (Bemisia tabaci)

Identification & Monitoring

• Adults are small, yellow bodied insects with white wings which are densely covered with a waxy powder.
• Nymphs and pupae are black and round or oval. Pupae have marginal bristles.
• This pest appears from July to October on soybean.
• Routinely check all parts of all fields for whiteflies using adult and nymph scouting methods.
• When populations exceed the thresholds, treat them where needed.
• Be especially alert for rapid whitefly buildup when nearby host crops are in decline.

Damage

• This is a polyphagous pest.
• The main damage causing stage is the nymph and adult of the insect.
• This insect is a voracious sap sucker of tender leaves.
• Due to attack of the insect the leaves turn yellow and become curled.
• This insect spread the mosaic disease in soybean.

Mechanical Control

• Cow dung ash dusting and clay suspension spray as asphyxiants (in small area and low incidence of sucking insects).

Biological Control

Chemical Control

• Apply chemical pesticides only if pest population crosses the ETL.

• Spray 0.01% endosulphan 35 EC or 0.05 quinalphos 25 EC or 0.01% malathion.
  OR

• Spray monocrotophos 36 SL, oxydemeton methyl (Metasystox) 25 EC, or dimethoate (Rogor) 30 EC @ 10-12 ml in 10 I water (750 -1000 I spray/ha) at the crop age of 35-40 days and repeat after 15 days if needed.                                                                                          

Soybean Aphid (Aphis spp.)

Identification & Monitoring

• Soybean aphids are small (1/16 ' long) soft bodied insects and may be winged or wingless.
• Winged adults will have a black head and thorax.
• Nymphs can be much smaller than adults.
• Aphids excrete honeydew on surface of lower leaves.
• In mid August the aphids are often lighter in color

Damage

• The damage is caused by adult and nymph.
• This is a sap-sucking insect.
• They suck the plant sap from the stem, leaves and pods which cause reduction in yield.
• The infested leaves are wilted or curled.
• Plant stunting, reduced pod and seed counts, puckering and yellowing of leaves.

Mechanical Control

• Cow dung ash dusting and clay suspension spray as asphyxiants (in small area and low incidence of sucking insects).

Biological Control

Jassids (Apheliona maculosa)

Identification & Monitoring

• Adults and nymphs are light green in colour and suck the sap from leaves and stem.
• This is a minor pest of soybean found from August to October in kharif and from February to April in rabi.

Damage

• This is a minor pest of soybean found from August to October in kharif and from February to April in rabi.
• Adults and nymphs are light green in colour and suck the sap from leaves and stem. Infested leaves start yellowing from the margins. In case of severe attack, all the leaves become yellow and eventually fall off the plants.

Mechanical Control

• Install one light trap (200W mercury vapour lamp) per hectare to catch the adults of some nocturnal pests such as jassid, (positively phototropic).

Biological Control

Chemical Control

• Apply chemical pesticides only if pest population crosses the ETL.

• Spray 0.01% endosulphan 35 EC or 0.05 quinalphos 25 EC or 0.01% malathion.
  OR

• Spray monocrotophos 36 SC, oxydemeton methyl (Metasystox) 25 EC, or dimethoate (Rogor) 30 EC @ 10-12 ml in 10 I water (750 -1000 I spray/ha) at the crop age of 35-40 days and repeat after 15 days if needed.                                                                                          

Stem Borers

Girdle beetle (Oberea (Obereopsis) brevis)

Identification & Monitoring

• The adult beetle has a hard shell-like exterior and rather long antennae.
• The freshly emerged adult is yellow, red, brown on the head, thorax and bases of elytra.
• The larva is a white, soft-bodied worm with a dark head.
• To locate the larva, cut open the stems and petioles where girdling has occurred.
• This insect remains active from July-October damaging most severely during August - September.

Damage

• The main damage causing stage is the caterpillar or larvae of the insect.
• The attack of this insect begins initially in the last week of July to first fortnight of August
• The larvae bores the stem of soybean
• The inside of the stem is eaten by the larvae and a tunnel is formed inside the stem.
• The leaves of plant of infected portion are unable to get the nutrient and are dried up.
• In later stages the plant is cut at about 15 to 25 cms above the ground.

Cultural Control

• Deep summer ploughing
• Planting time on the onset of monsoon
• Sowing of tolerant varieties like Variety ; Ahilya-2 (NRC 12), Ahilya-3 (NRC 7), Gaurav (JS-72-44), Indira soy 9, RAUS 5.
• Optimum seed rate (70-100 kg/ha) should be used
• Intercropping with maize or sorghum should be avoided
• Crop rotation should be followed
• Avoid excess nitrogenous fertilizers.
• Destroy crop residues

Mechanical Control

• Collect and destroy infested plant parts and egg masses.
• Remove the infested plant parts at least once in 10 days and bury them in compost pit to monitor and reduce the populations of girdle beetle. Traps are used for monitoring the pest situation.

Biological Control

Chemical Control

• Apply pesticides only if pest population crosses the ETL.

• Apply Phorate 10 G @ 10 kg/ha or Carbofuran 3 G @ 30 kg/ha at the time of sowing.

• One or two sprays of 0.07% Endosulfan 35 EC or 0.03% Dimethoate 30 EC or 0.05% Quinalphos 25 EC or 0.05% Methyl demeton 25 EC or 0.04% Monocrotophos 36 SC can check further damage.

• Always use hollow cone noozle for spraying.

•  Spray monocrolophos (Nuvacron or Monacil) 36 SC, quinalphos 25 EC, methyl parathion (Metacid) 50 EC, or lriazophos (Hostathion) 40 EC @ 10-12 ml in 10 I water, at the crop age of 30-35 days and repeal after 15-20 days (1000 I spray/ha)                                                                                          

Stem Fly (Melanagromyza sojae)

Identification & Monitoring

• The adult flies are shining black and about 2 mm long.
• The damaging stage is maggot which is white in colour and remains inside the stem.
• It remains active from sowing (June-July) to harvesting (October).

Damage

• It is a serious pest of soybean and may cause 20-30% damage to the crop.
• The eggs are laid on leaves.
• After hatching from the egg yellowish maggots bore the nearest vein of the leaf.
• The maggot then reach the stem through petiole and bore down the stem.
• If the infected stem is opened by splitting, distinct zig zag reddish tunnel can be seen with maggot or pupae inside it.
• The maggots feed on cortical layers of the stem, may extend to tap root, killing of the plant.

Cultural Control

• Deep summer ploughing.
• Avoid pre monsoon sowing.
• Use optimum seed rate and planting spacing.
• Proper crop rotation with dissimilar crops should be followed.
• Use tolerant varieties like, MACS-450, MAUS 1, Pooja (MAUS 2), MAUS 47 Ahilya-3 (NRC 7), NRC 37 (Ahilya 4), Co-1, Gaurav (JS-72-44), JS 90-41.

Mechanical Control

• Collect and destroy infested plants parts, egg masses and young larvae.
• Install pheromone traps at a distance of 50 m @ 5 traps/ha for each insect pest.
• Erect Bird perches @ 50/ha.
• Clip terminal shoots on 100 days of crop growth.
• Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to kill moth population.
• Remove and destroy the damage plant parts.

Biological Control

Chemical Control

• Apply Chemical pesticides only if pest population crosses the ETL.

• Spray monocrotophos 36 SC @ 1 l/ha, twice, at the crop age of one and three weeks. In case of severe infestation every year, apply phorate (Thimet) or lindane 10% granules in the soil furrows @ 10 kg/ha before sowing.

• Soil application of Phorate 10 G @ 10 kg/ha or Carbofuran 3 G @ 30 kg/ha at the time of sowing will prevent early infestation by stem fly.

• One or two sprays of 0.07% Endosulfan 35 EC or 0.03% Dimethoate 30 EC or 0.05% Quinalphos 25 EC can stop the damage.

• Always use hollow cone noozle for spraying.                                                                                          

Biological Control

• Introduce bio agent, Beauveria bassiana, fungus for the larvae of the pest.
• Spray bio agents like Bacillus thuringiensis and Beauveria bassiana @ 1kg or 1 lit/ha at 35-40 and 50-55 days after sowing respectively.
• Conserve biological control such as spiders, lizards, praying mantids, coccinellid beetles, tachinid fly, dragon fly, Chrysoperla and meadow grass hoppers.
• About 20 species of potential predators and parasites of soybean pests have been found effective for biological control. Normally, these biotic agents of ecosystem keep the pests in natural control, maintaining the balance of nature. These eco-friendly natural enemies are conserved and augmented by mass rearing and release in the infested fields in adequate number for permanent biotic control of tile pests (pest and parasite ratio 2:1).
  
  BIOCONTROL AGENTS
  Conserve the insectivorous frog and birds such as king crow, myna, blue jay, etc. Prepare 4 to 5 perchers or shelter sites for birds per hectare. Green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) has been found as the most effective predator of white fly, thrip, jassid and other sucking insects, eggs and young larvae of Lepidoptera and grubs of girdle beetle (also predated by a pentatomid bug, Nebus sp.), at the dose of about one lakh/ha, twice at fortnightly interval. Trichogramma chilonis (different strains) is an important egg-parasite or lepidopterous defoliators, at the dose of about 50 thousand/ha, six times at weekly interval (Tricho cards).
  
  BIOPESTlCIDES (MICROBIAL CONTROL)
  Entomogenous bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis, controls the tobacco caterpillar and other caterpillars @ 1.5 to 2.0 I/ha. Beauveria bassiana (fungus) checks some caterpillars @ 10 kg dust/ha. Nuclear polyhedral virus (NPV) controls tobacco caterpillar and gram caterpillar (separate strain for each) @ 250 LE(ml)/ha (in 100-400 I water). The infected/diseased caterpillars may be ground, mixed with water, strained and sprayed in the field along with the pathogens.
  
  BOTANICAL PESTICIDES
  Insecticides of plant origin are extracts of nccm, tobacco (decoction), karanj, pyrethrum, garlic, chillies, etc. They are effective antifeedants and safe to predators/parasites (ecofriendly). Neem-based pesticides, such as Azadirachtin 0.03% EC (Neembecidine) @ 3 ml/l water, Azadirachtin 0.15 % EC (Neem Gold) @ 5ml/l water, Azadirachtin 0.03% EC (Godrej Achook) @ 5 ml/1 water, or Neem seed water extract 5%, spray checks the sucking insects and leaf feeding caterpillars of soybean.