Pest:Aphid (Plant Lice)

Aphis gossypii

Aphididae

Aphids are greenish brown in colour. They infest all stages of crops. Aphids reproduce parthenogenitically. They bring forth several nymphs per day. Nymphs become adults in a week.

Click on the image to enlarge

  • pest 02

Symptoms

  • Aphids are seen in colonies on the lower surface of leaves.
  • Due to their feeding the leaves become highly crinkled and the plants become weak.
  • They transmit mosaic virus.

Procedure for Observation

Select 5 pits at random from the plot. Assess the total number of adults and nymphs from 6 leaves from each pit ( For this select 3rd to 8th leaves from the tip of a vine trailing on the pandal) and work out the average per leaf. Less than 5 -Mild,5-10 Moderate >10 severe.

ETL

  • 5 adults or nymphs per leaf.

    • Control Measures

  • Remove the leaves harbouring aphid colonies as far as possible.
  • Apply 1.5 % fish oil soap-( First dissolve soap in hot water and then make up the volume).
  • Spray tobacco decoction (one liter of prepared decoction diluted with 6 lit of water.)
  • Spray 2 % neem + garlic emulsion
  • Spray Nattapoochedi (Hyptis suaveolens) extract. Prepare one liter of leaf and stem extract of Nattapoochedi. To this add half liter of soap solution (60 g of ordinary soap mixed with half liter of water). This mixture is diluted in 15 liters of water ,filtered and sprayed.