Everything you need to know about controlling pests of vegetables. Learn about how to control pests of:- 1. Garden Pea 2. Cowpea 3. Cluster Beans 4. Indian Bean 5. French Bean 6. Ash Gourd 7. Bitter Gourd 8. Bottle Gourd 9. Round Melon 10. Luffa 11. Muskmelon 12. Pointed Gourd.
Contents:
- How to Control Pests of Garden Pea?
- How to Control Pests of Cowpea?
- How to Control Pests of Cluster Beans?
- How to Control Pests of Indian Bean?
- How to Control Pests of French Bean?
- How to Control Pests of Ash Gourd?
- How to Control Pests of Bitter Gourd?
- How to Control Pests of Bottle Gourd?
- How to Control Pests of Round Melon?
- How to Control Pests of Luffa?
- How to Control Pests of Muskmelon?
- How to Control Pests of Pointed Gourd?
1. How to Control Pests of Garden Pea?
I. Pea Aphid (Acyrthosiphum Pisum Harris):
Aphid is the most common and widely distributed pest. It damages the crop by sucking cell sap from the tender parts of the plants and transmitting pea mosaic virus, as a result, the leaves become curled, and plants growth stunted. The incidence of this pest is severe during later part of the plant growth. Honeydew secreted by the aphids encourages growth of sooty mould and this superficial black coating on leaves and stems hinders the photosynthetic activity of the plant, which becomes weak, and thus, affecting adversely the pod formation.
i. In seed crop apply Furadan 30 kg/ha at the time of seed sowing as precautionary measure.
ii. Spray the crop with non-residual contact or systemic insecticide; the insecticide Dimethoate, Fonnothion, or Diazinon at 0.3% has proved to be very effective. Two to three sprayings at fortnightly interval may be required to check the population effectively.
II. Pea Thrips (Caliothrips Indicus B):
These are tiny fragile insects with fringed wings and cause serious problem in dry weather from germination until harvest. Their nymphs and adults suck cell sap from the tender parts of the plant and lacerate the tissues. The attacked leaves show silvery white spots, which later curl and dry up at margins. A sever infestation by these insects affects the pod formation adversely. This insect may cause loss about 30-50%.
Spray the crop with 0.15% Malathion or carbaryl (Sevin 50 WP), 0.1% Nuacron or Metasystox, 0.03 Dimethoate, or 0.04% Monocrotophos.
III. Pea Stem Fly (Ophiomyia Pliaseoli Tryon):
It causes severe damage especially to the seedlings and young plants. Early sown crop is comparatively more prone to the attack of this pest. The eggs are usually deposited singly under the leaf epidermis but occasionally these are laid on petioles and stems as well. On hatching, the maggots mine the leaves, bore inside the petioles and tender stems and tunnel down wards. Sometimes adult females also puncture the leaves. The affected leaves turn yellow, while the stems droop down and gradually wither away. Pupation takes place in the underground portion of affected stem.
i. Remove and destroy all the affected branches during the initial stage of attack.
ii. Spray the crop with 0.035% Dimethoate, Diazion or Monocrotophos.
iii. Alternatively mix with soil around the root zone of plants, Aldicarb 10G @ 2 kg a.i. per hectare.
iv. Seed dressing with Phorate or Disyston before sowing seeds also offers triumphant security against these flies for two to three weeks after germination.
IV. Leaf Minor (Phytomyza Atricornis Meigen):
A female lays about 300 to 400 eggs, thrusting these into leaf tissues with the help of sharp and pointed ovipositor. On hatching, the maggots mine the leaves in a zigzag fashion feeding on mesophyll within these mines. The infestation of this fly can easily be recognized by the presence of shiny whitish streaks on the leaves against the green background. Adults puncture the leaves and feed on exuding sap. The flowering and fruiting capacity of infested plants adversely affected.
Spray the crop with 0.03% Dimethoate or 0.1% Metasystox.
V. Pod Borer (Etiella Zinckenella Treitschke):
Eggs are laid singly or in small batches, usually at the junction of calyx and pod or occasionally on young pods. On hatching, the caterpillars bore inside the green pods and feed within. Generally, one caterpillar is found in one pod. When full fed they come out of the pods, drop down and pupate in the soil. Late maturing varieties are comparatively more damaged than early maturing ones.
i. Collect and destroy the damaged pods.
ii. Spray the crop with Diazinon at 0.05% or Endosulfan 2 to 3 times at weekly interval from flowering onwards. Spraying with Cypermethrin (25 g a.i./ha) or Permethrin (200 g a.i./ha) is also effective.
VI. Pea Weevil (Bruchus Pisorum):
The attack of this insect is very common in hilly regions. The female weevil lays eggs on small pods. After hatching, the larvae bore into the pod and start feeding on seeds.
i. Hoe around the plant to avoid laying eggs.
ii. Spray the crop with 0.03% Endosulfan.
2. How to Control Pests of Cowpea?
Major insect-pests and diseases of cowpea along with their control measures are described below:
Insect-Pests:
I. Galerucid Beetle (Madhurasia Obsucurella Jac.):
It causes damage to the foliage, resulting in small sieve like holes on leaves. The insect is active during evening, night and early morning hours, while during hot hours of the day, it hides under debris and loose soil. The tiny grub feeds on root hairs and nodules, causing considerable damage.
Control:
i. Apply systemic granular insecticide such as Phorate or Aldicarb 10G @ 10-15 kg/ha or Carbofuran 3G @ 30-33 kg/ha at the time of sowing.
ii. Spray the crop with Endosulfan 35 EC @ 0.2%.
II. Aphid (Aphis sp.):
The tiny insects that suck cell sap from tender parts of the plant, mostly the leaves, are grey or black in colour. When the insects are in abundance, they start attacking the developing pods, causing great reduction in growth and yield, not by only direct feeding but also by spreading cowpea mosaic virus.
Control:
i. Apply systemic granular insecticides for the control of galerucid beetle.
ii. If the attack is at early stage when there is no pod, spray Dimethoate 30 EC or Methyl Demeton 25 EC @ 0.1-0.2%.
iii. If the crop is in pod stage, harvest all edible pods and spray the crop with Malathion 50 EC @ 0.2% or DDVP 0.1% at fortnightly interval.
III. Jassid (Amrasca kerri):
The adult insect is wedge-shaped, about 2 mm long and green in colour, and nymphs are wingless and found in abundance on lower surface of leaves. The nymphs and adults pierce the plant tissues and suck cell sap. Initial damage is yellowing of leaf margins followed by curling up of leaves.
Control:
Control measure is similar as mentioned above for the control of aphids.
IV. Pod Borer or Blue Butterfly (Adisura sp., Heliothis Armigera):
Sometimes, it becomes a serious pest of beans and first feeds on surface of pods, bore into them, and then, feeds on seeds.
Control:
i. Spray the crop with Endosulfan @ 0.2% at fortnightly interval.
ii. Spray the crop with Hexavin 50 WP @ 2.25 kg/ha at fortnightly interval.
V. Bean Weevil (Bruclius sp.):
This pest infests the seeds in stores, and spoils the seeds used for both consumption and seed purpose.
Control:
Fumigate the material under airtight conditions with phosphine gas available in the form of tablets, e.g., Celphos, Phosfume etc. @ 1-2 tablets per tonne of material or per cubic meter of space.
3. How to Control Pests of Cluster Beans?
The important insect-pests infesting the crop are aphids, jassids, Bihar hairy caterpillar, and pod borer.
Short descriptions of some destructive insect-pests are given below:
I. Aphids (Aphis Craccivora):
These tiny insects suck cell sap from the tender aerial parts of the plant, which shows some characteristics symptoms, like curling of leaves, twisting of twigs and developing fruits, and sometimes, shedding of flowers. Seed development, which is highly affected, severely reduces the seed yield.
i. Spray the crop with 0.03% dimethoate or 0.05% phosphamidon.
ii. Apply granular insecticide, like carbofuran (Furadan 3G @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha).
II. Bihar Hairy Caterpillar (Diacrisia Obliqua):
Larvae of this insect first feed on foliage, and under severe attack, the leaves are skeletonised and whole plant is destroyed.
Spray the crop with 0.07% endosulfan 35 EC (Thiodan).
III. Jassid (Empoasca Fabae):
Both nymphs and adults of this insect suck cell sap usually from ventral surface of the leaf, and because of severe infestation, the affected leaves show typical hopper burn symptoms.
Control:
Control measures are similar as for aphids.
IV. Pod Borer (Helicoverpa Armigera):
The caterpillars of this insect bore into the developing pods and feed on seeds therein making both the pods and seeds unfit for consumption.
Control:
i. Remove and destroy the infested pods at initial stages of attack.
ii. Spray the crop with 0.05% endosulfan, 0.01% fenvalerate, or 0.04% monocrotophos.
Sometimes, root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita), white fly (Acaudaleyrodes citri) and Scarabeid (Protaetia terrosa) have been reported to cause serious damage to this crop. In Northern Gujarat, Patel and Dodia (1999) observed massive white fly infestation for the first time in cluster bean.
i. Cluster bean genotypes, like JG-2, HGV-75 and GAUG-26, showed moderate resistance to root knot nematode so may be used for planting.
ii. Dusting with 2% methyl parathion at the time of insect appearance and soil drenching with chlorpyriphos @ 2 litres/ha 25 days after germination gave some protection against Scarabeid.
4. How to Control Pests of Indian Bean?
I. Aphid (Aphis Craccivora Koch):
Aphid is a polyphagous pest of leguminous crops but Indian bean is the preferred host of this pest. It is a sap-sucking pest and infests almost all plant parts like leaves, tender shoots, flower buds and pods. A short spell of rainfall coupled with high relative humidity increases aphid population.
i. Spray the crop with Melathion 50 EC @ 2 ml per liter of water.
ii. Application of Methyl-demeton 0.025% was found most effective followed by monocrotophos 0.04%.
iii. Endosulfan 0.07% is the safest insecticide for Coccinellid predator (Menochilus sexmaculatus) followed by monocrotophos 0.04%.
iv. Spray soap water suspension @ 25 ml liquid detergent per liter of water.
v. Spraying with neem extract (Azadracta indica) also gives effective control of aphids.
vi. Spraying with microbial pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis gives good control of this insect.
II. Pod Borer (Heliothis Armigera and Adisura Atkinsoni):
Pod borers are important pests of Indian bean as they directly feed on tender pods and developing seeds and drastically reduce the marketable yield. Of the two borer species infesting the Indian bean, Adisura atkinsoni is more prevalent.
i. Both the species of pod borer can effectively be controlled by spraying carbaryl (Sevin 50 SP) 0.2%.
ii. Strain HE 111 of Bacillus cereus var. thuringensis has been reported as an effective agent against the pod borer larvae.
5. How to Control Pests of French Bean?
A number of pests attack the green, bush snap or French bean at different times, causing problems at various stages of crop growth. Timing of pesticides application is often critical- some pests attack the crop at flowering when beneficial insects such as honeybees visit the crop, and other pests attack so close to harvest that unacceptably high residues would be left in the produce.
I. Black Bean Bug (Chauliops Nigrescens):
The black bean bug is the most damaging pest of French and other beans. Both adults and nymphs suck sap from the plant usually from lower surface of leaves, as a result, the chlorophyll content gets reduced, which ultimately affects the quality and yield of crop. The damaged leaves gradually wither and fall off. Adults appear in June and remain on crop until final harvest. The pest is widely distributed in Ceylon, Japan, and southeastern Australia. In India, it is spread at length in northern states.
i. Spray the crop with oxy-demeton methyl (0.025%) or dimethoate (0.03%), starting from flower initiation and pod formation stage.
ii. Spray of endosulfan, lindane, or monocrotophos each at 0.05% is also equally good to control this pest.
II. Blister Beetles (Mylabris spp.):
Blister beetles are the serious pest of French bean. Damage is caused by adults, which feed on foliage, flowers, and developing pods. The larval stages are predatory on eggs of grasshoppers, while some eats eggs of solitary bees and their food stores. This pest appears in mid-July at the time of flower bud formation and flowering and remains active up to last harvest.
i. The beetles can be controlled by spraying endosulfan (0.05%), or malathion (0.05%).
ii. Spray of carbaryl (0.1%) or fenvalerate (0.01%) at 15 days interval is also recommended for good control of this pest.
III. Red Spider Mite (Tetranychus Urticae):
The pest is also known as two spotted spider mite since it has two large pigmented spots on its body. Adults and nymphs both cause damage by feeding on underside of leaves and breed near the petiole in between main veins. Under heavy infestation, mites are found spread all over the leaves. Due to extraction of chlorophyll, leaves show characteristic blotching.
The infested leaves show yellowish speckled appearance, which later turns brown. Gradually the infested leaves dry up and a large number of webs is formed on the leaves, consequently, pod setting is poor, and yield is considerably reduced. The damage starts during May-June when the weather is dry.
i. Spray the crop with Malathion (0.05%) as soon as the attack is noticed, and repeat if required.
ii. The pest can also be controlled by the spray of Dicofol (0.035%).
iii. Wettable sulphur (0.3%) or Ethion (0.005%) can also be used to reduce the population of mites.
iv. Biological control- several natural enemies like coccinellids, thrips, Chrysopids and Phytoseiids etc. attack the mite. Of these bioagents, phytoseiid mite (Ambyseius tetranychivorus) can be mass reared on castor pollen grains and released when the spider mite population begins to appear on crop.
IV. Bean Weevil (Sitona Lineatus):
Bean weevil is found in most of the temperate regions where beans are grown, including Europe, Israel, and Japan. Bean weevils have a wide host range, feeding on clovers, peas, broad beans and Phaseolus beans.
Damage is most obvious in early stages of plant development. The adult weevils eat in V-shape patches around the leaf edges of expanded leaves, and if a heavy infestation develops during, for instance, a period of slow growth in cold weather, a considerable proportion of the leaf tissues may be destroyed. Severely affected crops may exhibit symptoms of nitrogen deficiency. Leaf injury alone is not enough to be responsible for loss of yield.
i. Although foliar sprays of Pyrethroid insecticides such as Cypermethrin or Deltamethrin or of the organophosphorus insecticide triazophos, applied as soon as serious levels of leaf damage are seen, check further damage, reductions of larvae are seldom achieved, as early treatment is necessary to prevent egg laying by female adult.
ii. Granular soil-applied insecticides such as Phorate or aldicarb have been shown to be effective in reducing adult and larval feeding.
V. Bean-Fly (Ophiomyia Phaseoli):
Bean fly being polyphagus is one of the most destructive pests found infesting almost all the leguminous crops, including French beans in south India. The larvae cause damage by making mines inside the leaf lamina, veins, petioles, and stem. It pupates at the base of the stem, thus, blocking the food uptake, as a result the plants show sudden wilting at the time of flowering.
i. Two sprays of Endosulfan (700 g a.i./ha) at unifoliate leaf stage first at the appearance of puncture marks and second at petiole mining stage have been found to give good control of this pest.
ii. Spray of 4 percent neem seed kernel extract also gives adequate control under moderate insect pressure when timed at appearance of first puncture marks.
VI. Bean Seed Fly (Delia Platura):
The bean seed fly is almost universally found wherever Phaseolus beans are grown. The first sign of attack is a patchy emergence of seedlings. In case of green beans, the attacked plants emerge with damaged plumules and missing cotyledonary leaves. The damage is described as ‘baldhead or snake head’. Emerged damaged crop plants are often weak and fail to develop into productive plants.
i. As prevention measure, plant the crop late in the season to avoid first-generation attack.
ii. Seed treatment with insecticides is commonly practiced.
iii. Green bean seed may be treated with chlorphrifas, bromophas or dichlofenthion.
VII. Hairy Caterpillars (Ascotis Imparata and Spilosoma Obliqua):
The larvae cause characteristic skeletonization of leaves during early gregarious stage and later they completely denude the plants.
i. Collect the larvae during early gregarious stage and destroy them.
ii. Spray the crop with Endosulfan at 0.07%.
6. How to Control Pests of Ash Gourd?
I. Red Pumpkin Beetle (Aulacophora Foveicollis Syn. Raphidopalpa Foveicollis):
The red pumpkin beetle is very destructive at a plant stage of two to four leaves, especially in summer season. Adults feed on cotyledonary leaves, killing the seedling and foliage by biting and making the holes. At flowering stage of the crop, the beetles some time damage the floral parts and reduce the fruit set. Infection is more severe in the plains than in the hills. The adult beetle lays 50-70 orange/yellow colour eggs in clusters in soil near the collar region of plant.
i. Summer deep ploughing helps in exposing and killing the grubs.
ii. Avoid sowing repeatedly in the same field to reduce the infestation of pest.
iii. Pick and kill the adult insects.
iv. Spray the fenvalerate (20 EC) @ 1 g/liter or carbaryl (50 WP) @ 0.15% or 3 g/liter.
v. Sow the tolerant lines to avoid the infection.
II. Fruit Fly (Bactrocera Cucurbitae):
Fruit fly is the most common insects, attacking ash gourd throughout India and tropical world. The adult female lays eggs in/on the fruit surface using conical ovipositor. After hatching, the maggots feed inside the fruits, causing rotting and premature dropping of fruits and also making them unsuitable for consumption. Mature fruits of ash gourd are damaged more than immature. The flies are most active after summer rain (June) and the rainy season (July-August) in northern India.
i. At initial stage, collect and destroy the damaged fruits.
ii. Three to five sprays of fenthion 0.1% or carbaryl (50 WP) @ 0.15% or 3 g/lit at 10-15 days interval beginning from flowering may be useful.
iii. Lure containing 6 parts ripe banana pulp, 4 parts protein hydrolysate and 1 part malathion (50 EC) @ 0.1% or 2 ml/lit or carbaryl (50 WP) @ 0.15% or 3 g/lit may be used for trapping male fruit flies.
iv. Poison baiting of carbaryl or malathion with palm juice or protein hydrolysate or molasses gives effective control.
III. Leaf Miner (Liriomyza Trifolii):
Leaf miner attack is observed more in early crop. Leaf miner makes mines in the leaves, especially in mature leaves. The larvae scrap the chlorophyll and leaf tissues. The eggs hatch within 2-3 days and larvae feed between the lower and upper epidermis by making zigzag tunnels.
i. Collect and destroy the infected old leaves containing pupae of leaf miner.
ii. Use nitrogenous fertilizers judiciously.
iii. Spray Actara 25% WG (0.3 g/litre of water) or thiomethoxam (25 WG) @ 0.005% or 0.2 g/lit for better management.
iv. Spray of neem seed extract (4%) for effective control of leaf miner.
IV. Root Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne Incognita):
This is very common in sandy soil. The symptoms are characterized as stunted and unthrifty condition of plant. Infected plants become pale to yellow. The plant canopy and fruiting capacity of infected plant are reduced drastically. The characteristic symptoms are clearly observed after uprooting the plants as swelling and gall formation on roots and rootlets.
Small, round, oblong to irregular galls are formed as a result of hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the cell. Ash gourd is severely infected by Meloidogyne incognita, which has the potential of creating total destruction of crop, especially if grown in regions of wide weather fluctuation.
i. Follow summer deep ploughing to minimize the nematode infestation.
ii. Adopt crop rotation with cereals like puddled paddy, bajra, sorghum, and marigold.
iii. Avoid use of farm implements having infested soil sticking on.
iv. Apply neem cake @ 20-25 q/ha.
v. Apply carbofuran 3G 20-25 kg/ha or aldicarb or phorate 10G 10 kg a.i./ha at the time of field preparation to reduce the nematode population.
7. How to Control Pests of Bitter Gourd?
I. Fruit Fly (Bactrocera Cucurbitae Cog.):
This is a serious pest of bitter gourd, and causes damage by puncturing tender fruits, particularly at maturity. Female lays eggs upon tender fruits, and after hatching, the white maggots start feeding inside the fruits, which causes deformity, rotting, and premature dropping of fruits. The flies are most active during rainy season, and more than 50% of the fruits are damaged partly or fully by this insect. Fruit fly infestation in bitter gourd is higher (up to 60%) during August- September.
i. Collect and destroy the infested plant parts and fruits too.
ii. Three foliar sprays of Tetrachlorvinphos (0.1%), Fenthion (0.03%), or carbaryl (0.1%) using 550 litre spray liquid per hectare at 15 day interval starting from fruit set are very effective against fruit fly.
iii. Foliar sprays with synthetic pyrethroids such as Permethrin, Fenvalerate or Cypermethrin (100 g a.i./ha) at 48 and 78 days after sowing may be very effective to control this insect.
iv. Poison bait comprising ripe banana pulp 100 g, cue-lure 1 ml, and Sevin 1 g controls this pest very effectively.
II. Red Pumpkin Beetle (Aulacophora Foveicollis):
Although bitter gourd is rarely attacked by this pest but sometimes the less bitter varieties plants may be attacked at seedling stage, especially at cotyledonary leaf stage. Beetles feed on cotyledons and foliage by biting and making holes. The grubs also damage underground portion of plants by boring into the roots, stems, and sometimes, into the fruits touching the soil.
i. Follow deep ploughing in hot summer months to expose the grubs present into the soil.
ii. Application of carbofuran 1.5 kg a.i./ha at sowing, vining, and flowering stages has been found most effective against this pest.
iii. Two-three sprays of carbaryl 50 WP 0.1-0.2% or Rogor 0.1% at 10-15 days interval is found effective to control this insect.
III. Epilachna Beetle (Epilachana Dodecastigma and E. Vigintioctopunctata):
Bitter gourd is severely attacked by this pest. The larvae and adults scrap the green matter of the leaves and make characteristic skelentonized patches on leaves. Adult female lays masses of conical shaped yellow eggs on leaves in upright position. Severe infestation may cause damage up to 80% of plants if attacked in early growth stages.
i. Foliar spray of 0.2% carbaryl or its dusting (10% dust) controls the beetles effectively.
ii. Dusting with Malathion (5%) or foliar spray of Dichlorovos or Endosulfan (0.05 %) at 15 days intervals is also effective against this pest.
iii. Foliar spray of 0.5% carbaryl + molasses and Quinalphos is found to be effective against beetle for 20 days.
IV. Mites (Tetranychus Neocaledonicus Andre):
This is not a serious pest of bitter gourd, even though sometimes the damage is caused by both nymphs and adults. Usually this mite feeds on underside of the leaves by sucking cell sap. Gradually, the chlorophyll degradation takes place, and in severe cases, the leaves are completely dried.
Infested leaves are small and webbing interferes with plant growth. The mites cannot survive at temperatures above 37°C, and it gets failed to complete its life cycle on bitter gourd crop at 30-37°C temperature. The best temperature for its development is 20°C.
i. Foliar spray of NSKE (neem seed kernel extract) 4% at weekly interval is recommended.
ii. Foliar spray of Dicofol 0.05% (2.75 ml/liter) or Vertimac 1.8 SL (0.8 ml/liter) at 15-20 days interval is an effective control measure for mites.
iii. Adequate supply of water in summer season and optimum dose of nitrogen result in less infestation of mites.
V. Root Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne Incognita):
Root knot nematode also affects bitter gourd. Darekar and Mhase (1988) estimated about 37% loss in yield of bitter gourd due to the infestation of root knot nematode. Infective larvae enter the roots, form the galls, and adversely affect the growth system and consequently reduce the yield.
Control:
i. Use marigold as a border crop or as an intercrop.
ii. Soil fumigation with DD mixture (200-400 litre/ha) is very effective for the control of nematodes.
iii. Soil application of Carbofuran 3G 2-4 kg a.i./ha or Phorate 10 kg a.i./ha or Aldicarb 2 kg a.i./ha during field preparation is recommended for the control of root knot nematode.
iv. Seed dressing with Fenamiphos or Carbofuran (1%) is very effective to give initial protection against nematodes.
8. How to Control Pests of Bottle Gourd?
I. Red Pumpkin Beetle (Aulacophora Foveicollis):
Adults of this beetle attack the crop in early stages of growth. The insect affects the cotyledonary leaves more and kill the plants at seedling stage as a result gaps are developed in the field. The insect also attacks the plants at later stage of crop growth but young stage of crop is more critical. Grubs of this insect can also harm the crop by making holes into the plant roots and eventually plants are dried.
Control:
i. Spray carbaryl (Sevin) 0.1-0.2% or Rogor 0.1%.
ii. Apply granules of Furadon or Phorate 5G @ 6.25 kg/ha near the base of each plant at a depth of 5 cm and is followed by irrigation.
II. Aphid (Aphis Sp.):
The small green insects damage the plants by sucking plant sap. In young stage, cotyledonary leaves crinkle, and ultimately, the plants wither in severe cases. In grown up plants, the leaves turn yellow and plants lose their vigour, and thus, yield is reduced.
Control:
Apply Malathion 0.1%, Metasystox 0.1-0.2%, or Rogor 0.1-0.2%.
III. Fruit Fly (Dacus Cucurbitae and Dacus Dorasalis):
The adult female punctures the developing fruits of bottle gourd and lays eggs into them. These eggs hatch later on inside the fruit and grubs eat flesh inside the fruit, however, the attack of this insect is not so serious in bottle gourd.
Control:
i. Pick up and bury the affected fruits deep into the soil.
ii. Use baits containing sex attractants like protein hydrolysate 0.5 kg + Malathion WP 1.25 kg + molasses 200 g.
iii. Spray endosulfan (Thiodan) @ 6 ml/4.5 liter of water to check the fly incidence partially.
iv. Follow bait spray containing 20 ml Malathion, 200 g of gur or sugar, and 20 liter of water at fortnight interval. The commercial baits (spinosad bait formulation GF 120 and protein hydrolysate) and the locally produced ones (boiled waste brewers’ yeast and waste brewers’ yeast modified with papain) were equally effective in capturing either male or female melon fly.
IV. Root Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne Incognita):
The bottle gourd is susceptible to root knot nematode infestations. Infective larvae enter the roots, form galls, and adversely affect the root system, and consequently, reduce the yield. The leaves due to the attack of nematodes become yellow and are reduced in size, whereas, the severely infected vines are dried and eventually died. Bottle gourd does not develop stem galls.
Control:
i. Follow long rotations with nematode repellent crops.
ii. Apply soil fumigants like DD or Nemagon.
iii. Mustard cake at 10-20 g/kg infested soil was superior to poultry manure at 10-20 g/kg infested soil and carbofuran in terms of increased growth in length and fresh weight of shoot and root weight in both the crops. Root-knot index was recorded minimum in mustard cake, followed by carbofuran and poultry manure @ 20 g in bottle gourd.
iv. Application of decomposed composts of neem (Azadirachta indica), subabul, mustard and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) at 25 q/ha to nematode infested plots increased fruit yield and reduced nematode damage, however, carbofuran at 2.0 kg a.i./ha was more effective than the composts.
9. How to Control Pests of Round Melon?
I. Fruit Flies (Bactrocera Cucurbitaea):
Fruit fly is the most destructive insect of Indian melon, and the damage caused is estimated up to 35-40%. The infestation increases up to 80% after first shower of the monsoon. The female flies puncture the tender fruits and lay eggs below the fruit surface. On hatching, the maggots feed on pulp inside fruit, as a result, the infested fruit starts oozing exudates, which serves as an entry point for several bacteria and fungi. Infested fruits start rotting, get distorted and malformed in shape.
i. Grow resistant variety like Arka Tinda.
ii. Rake up the soil under the vines frequently.
iii. Plough the infested fields deep after harvesting the crop to kill the pupae.
iv. Use poison bait prepared by mixing 20 g Malathion 50% WP or 50 ml diazinon 20% EC with 500 g molasses or gur + 20 g yeast hydrolysate in 2 litre of water.
II. Red Pumpkin Beetles (Aulacophora Foveicollis Lucas):
Red pumpkin beetle is another damaging insect of Indian melon. Female lays yellowish-pink colour eggs in moist soil usually around the plant. On hatching, the grubs and adults both damage the crop at seedling stage. Initially, the grubs feed on the roots and underground portion of plant at a depth of 5-10 cm, resulting in wilting of plants.
After coming out, they attack preferably on young seedlings and emerging new leaves. The beetles injure the cotyledons, the flowers, and the foliage by piercing holes into them. In case of severe attack, the crop is totally destroyed.
i. Follow early crop sowing.
ii. Adopt clean cultivation by burning crop refuse.
iii. Grow resistant varieties in areas prone to the attack.
iv. Plough the field deep during hot summer to kill the grubs.
v. Dust the crop with 5% carbaryl or 4% endosulfan or spray with 0.2% carbaryl or 0.05% endosulfan to safe guards the crop.
IIII. Aphids (Aphis Gossypii):
Aphid is a major pest of round melon. Nymphs and adults found in large colonies on tender twigs and shoots and also on ventral leaf surface suck vital cell sap, as a result, the affected parts turn yellow, get curled, wrinkled and deformed in shape, and ultimately, dry and die away. Size and quality of infected fruits are reduced to greater extent due to copious exudation of honeydew on which sooty mould develops, and affects the photosynthetic activity of vines, resulting in stunting of plant growth.
i. Uproot and destroy the severely affected plants.
ii. Clip off the affected shoots and twigs to prevent further infestation.
iii. Spray 0.05% dimethoate, Monocrotophos or endosulfan at the interval of 10-12 days.
IV. Mites (Tetranychus Neocaldonicus):
Now a day, mite is becoming the major insect of Indian melon. Both nymphs and adults damage the crop but the nymphs are more harmful. Colonies of mite protected under fine silken webs can be seen on ventral surface of thick leaves of the infested plants, sucking the vital sap. The damage caused by de-sapping and covering leaves with thick webs on which soil particles collect during windy weather results in leaf drop, which in turn affects the growth, flowering and fruit formation adversely.
i. Clean cultivation and avoid dust deposition on the plants.
ii. Dust the crop with sulfur or spray 0.1% wettable sulfur 80 WP.
iii. Spray the crop with carbaryl 0.2% as and when the mites appear.
10. How to Control Pests of Luffa?
I. Red Pumpkin Beetle (Raphidopalpa Faveicollis):
Both grubs and adults attack the crop at seedling stage and feed on cotyledonary leaves making holes. The crop is destroyed absolutely and only a vein skeleton is left behind when the infestation is very severe. Early sowings may avoid the attack of red pumpkin beetle on crop to an extent.
i. Spray the crop with carbaryl 0.2%, Rogor 0.1%, or endosulfan 0.05% at 10 days interval.
ii. Apply Malathion or Lindane dust 20-25 kg/ha or Furadan 3G (Carbofuran) 6.875 kg/ha just after germination of seed.
II. Aphid (Aphis Gossypi and Myzus Persicae) and Jassid (Empoasca sp.):
These tiny insects cause damage from April to June by sucking cell sap from tender foliage as a result the cotyledonary leaves crinkled and in severe cases plants withered. The leaves of grownup vines turn yellow, and consequently, the affected plants lose vigor and yield. The aphids also act as a vector for spreading mosaic virus.
Spray the crop with 0.1-0.2% Metasystox, Rogor, Malathion, endosulfan, Monocrotophos, or Acephate.
III. Fruit Fly (Dacus Cucurbitae):
The adult flies puncture tender fruits and lay eggs below the epidermis of fruit skin. The eggs hatch into maggots, which feed inside the fruits and spoil them. The fruit fly attack is more severe when humidity is high, especially after the summer rains.
i. Follow phyto-sanitary measures.
ii. Raise maize plants at 8-10 meter distance as a trap crop.
iii. Collect the infested fruits and destroy them by burying deep into the soil.
iv. Apply bait spray containing 0.05% Malathion + 10% Gar/sugar (20 ml Malathion 50 EC and 200 g Gur/sugar in 20 liters of water) on lower surface of leaves since flies have the habit of resting on underside of leaves and repeat at weekly interval.
v. Apply 0.02% Fenvalrate with 1% Molasses.
IV. Nematodes (Meloidogyne Incognita and Meloidogyne Javanica):
In Luffa, Meloidogyne incognita is more severe than the Meloidogyne javanica. The crop infested with nematodes show poor and patchy growth. Leaves become yellow and reduced in size, knots are formed on roots and in severe case, vines dry up and die up earlier than the healthy ones. The nematodes live in soil, thus, cultural practices are effective to control them.
i. Expose the soil to sun through frequent cultivation in hot summer months.
ii. Follow crop rotation with rice, wheat, oat, taramira, cauliflower, or garlic.
iii. Apply Nemacore (fenamiphos) or Temik (aldicarb) @ 10-20 g/plant.
11. How to Control Pests of Muskmelon?
I. Red Pumpkin Beetle (Aulacophora Foveicollis Syn. Raphidopalpa Foveicollis):
The red pumpkin beetle is very destructive, particularly in summer season when the plants have two to four leaves. Adults feed on the cotyledonary leaves damaging the seedling and foliage by biting and making the holes. At flowering stage of crop, beetle sometimes damages the floral parts, reducing the fruit set.
Infestation is more severe in the plains than in the hills. The adult beetle lays 50-70 orange/yellow eggs in clusters in soil near collar region of plant. Its grubs attacking the root zone results in sudden wilting of plant due to disruption of transportation of food materials. Sudden wilting is now becoming a serious problem in melon cultivation.
i. Summer ploughing helps to expose and kill the grubs.
ii. Cucurbitaceous crops should not be sown repeatedly in the same field for more than one season to reduce the infestation.
iii. Adults should be collected and killed.
iv. Damage may be avoided, by sowing seeds in November.
v. Two-three sprays of carbaryl 50 WP 0.15% (3 g/litre) at 10 days interval at early growing stage.
vi. Drench the beds with chloropyrophos 20 EC 2 ml/litre at 15 days interval.
vii. Tolerant lines should be identified to avoid the infestation.
II. Fruit Fly (Bactrocera Cucurbitae):
The female lays eggs in/onto the fruit surface using conical ovipositor. After hatching, the maggots feed inside the fruits causing premature dropping of fruits and rotting, which makes the fruits unsuitable for consumption.
i. The damaged fruits after initial infection may be collected and destroyed.
ii. Three to five sprays of fenthion 0.1% or carbaryl 0.1% at 10-15 days interval beginning from flowering may be useful.
iii. Lure containing six parts ripe banana pulp, four parts protein hydrolysate and 1 part Malathion 50 EC 0.1% (2 ml/litre) or carbaryl 50 WP 0.15% (3 g/litre) may be used for trapping male.
iv. Poison baiting of carbaryl or Malathion with palm juice or protein hydrolysate or molasses gives effective control of fruit flies.
12. How to Control Pests of Pointed Gourd?
I. Fruit Fly (Dacus Clorsalis):
It is the most serious and destructive insect of pointed gourd. Adult fly lays eggs below the skin of the young ovaries. Maggots on hatching start feeding inside, and consequently, the fruit starts decaying.
Control:
i. Destroy the affected fruits along with the maggots inside.
ii. Spray Malathion or Thiodan @ 2 ml/litre of water on fruits at an interval of 10 days.
iii. Use poison baits prepared with 20 g Malathion powder and 200 g molasses in 2 litres of water during fruit setting period.
II. Brown Scale Insect (Saissetia Coffeae):
It is still not a serious insect of pointed gourd except in some parts of India. Remaining within the shelter of scale this insect sucks cell sap.
Control:
i. Spray the crop with 0.2% carbaryl or 0.05% quinalphos.
ii. Use of Eublemma scitula being an important predator controls this insect effectively.
III. Root Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne Incognita):
Root knot nematodes that harbour pointed gourd incite profuse galls on roots, resulting hamper in the supply of food and water inside the plant system. In severe attack, the growth remains stunted and plants may even die. Suppressing nematode population through different measures effectively check the infestation.
Control:
i. Application of oil cakes of mahua, neem and mustard, neem cake in particular, @ 250 kg/ ha can significantly suppress the incidence of Meloidogyne incognita.
ii. Growing of marigold as companion crop with pointed gourd significantly lowers gall formation and egg mass development of M. incognita in roots.
iii. Application of chopped leaves of Ricinus communis, Calotropis procera, Leucaena leucocephala or Melia azedarach in soil also helps in decreasing infection by nematode and increases sprouting.
iv. Vines treatment with chemical pesticide, like carbosulfon (Marshal) @ 0.05% for 6 hours followed by shade drying before planting significantly reduces nematode incidence.=