Pest:Pod bug

Riptortus pedestris

Coreidae

The adult is a dark brown elaongated bug about 15 mm long. It has two black bands ventrally on the abdomen. Eggs are laid singly on pods , laying about 115 eggs on an average. Egg period is about 4 days. Nymphs look like ants and dark brown in colour. There are 5 instars and nymphal period lasts for 16 days. Adult lives for about 45 days.

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Symptoms

  • Both the adults and nymphs suck the juice from seeds and as a result the seeds shrink and shrivel with in the pods.
  • The attacked seeds become discoloured.
  • The skin surface of the attacked pods presents a wrinkled appearance.
  • When the attack becomes severe many pods show uneven development causing huge economic loss.

Procedure for Observation

Select 3 rows at random. From each row select 5 plants at random. Assess the population of bugs. Take the average/ plant. One mild , 2 moderate, more than 2 severe.

ETL

  • One bug per plant.

    • Control Measures

  • Keep flame torch immediately after dusk some distance away but near the garden to trap large population of the bug.
  • Use hand net to trap the bug and kill them.
  • Prepare a spray solution containing one liter of cow's urine, extract from250 g garlic plus 30 g of well crushed hot chilli and give a drenching spray.
  • This should be followed by an immediate spray application of Beauveria bassiana (20 g or 5 ml/l of water).
  • Destroy weeds which serve as alternate hosts
  • Spray 3 ml of any neem based formulation plus 2 ml of malathion in one liter of water.
  • )Spray cow's urine asafoetida plus hot chilly mixture (Cow's urine one lit + 40 g asafetida (Palkayam)+30 g of crushed hot chillies in 10 lit of water).