Cotton crop hit by mealy bug, caterpillar attack in Punjab

Ludhiana, May 28 (UNI) Damage to the cotton crop by tobacco caterpillar and mealy bug has been reported from Bathinda and Mansa districts, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) experts today said.

PAU entomologists, who surveyed the affected areas to get first hand information, reported that the attack of mealy bug has been severe in Sangat block of Bathinda district. Several weed plants like congress grass, kanghi buti, peeli buti, puthkanda, gut putna, bhakhra, itsit and tandla are host to the pest.

According to experts, the mealy bug migrates from the weeds to the cotton crop and causes is serious damage. Scientists recommend the eradication and destruction of weeds, especially those growing on the wasteland.

Farmers who are facing the problem or are likely to face the problem of mealy bug should remove weeds and destroy them by burying the weed plants deep in the soil, they suggested.

According to the experts, a campaign should be initiated for the removal of weed hosts of mealy bug to check its spread. For cotton fields which have been attacked by the mealy bug, the farmers are advised to spray the crop with any of the PAU recommended insecticides like Profenophos, Quinalphos, Chloropyriphos, Acephate, Carbaryl and Thiodicarb.

Since damage of mealy bug is normally localized to border rows, the farmers are advised to treat only that portion with the above mentioned pesticides.

The outbreak of tobacco caterpillar has also been observed by PAU scientists in some pockets on moong (pulse) and jantar crops.

The cultivation of moong and jantar along cotton fields as tobacco caterpillar migrates to cotton crop.

According to experts to check the damage of the pest to cotton, farmers are advised either to plough up the jantar crop immediately if it has attained reasonable height and the larvae along with straw be buried deep into the soil. Alternatively, the jantar crop should be sprayed with pesticides.

If the pest has already appeared on moong, spray the crop with Endosulfan to prevent its spread to cotton.

According to experts where the tobacco caterpillar has already started damaging the cotton crop at seedling stage, the farmers have been advised to use any of the insecticides such as Endosulfan, Quinalphos, Chlorpyriphos, Acephate and Thiodicarb.

The collection and destroying egg masses of tobacco caterpillar helps to mitigate the population build up of pest on cotton.

UNI