Early shoot borer – Kisan Suvidha

Early shoot borer: Chilo infuscatellus snellen

Symptom:

Dead heart shows in 1-3 months old crop, which can be easily pulled out.
Caterpillar bores into the central shoot and feeds on the internal tissue cause Dead heart.
A rotten portion of the straw coloured shoot emits an offensive odour.
A number of boreholes at the base of the shoot just above the ground level.

Identification of pest:

Egg: Flat – scale-like eggs are laid in 3-5 rows on the lower surface of leaves in masses of 4-100. The masses are slightly overlapping like tiles.
Larva: Larva is dirty white with five dark violet longitudinal stripes and dark brown head.
Pupa: Pupation takes within the tunnel. Caterpillar before pupating makes a large exit hole in the stem and blocks the opening with silken discs.
Adult: Pale greyish brown moth with black dots near the coastal margin of the forewings and with white hind wings.

Management:

ETL: 15% dead heart.

Cultural method:

Use resistant varieties like CO 312, CO 421, CO 661, CO 917 and CO 853
Early planting during December – January escapes the early shoot borer incidence.
Sugarcane intercropped with Daincha recorded the lowest early shoot borer incidence.
Trash mulching along the ridges to a thickness of 10-15 cm 3 days after planting.
Ensure adequate moisture to bring down the soil temperature and increase humidity (unfavourable condition for the multiplication of early shoot borer).
Partial earthing up on 45 days after planting reduces the incidence.

Physical method:

Remove and destroy dead hearts.
Install pheromone traps @ 10Nos. /ha for surveillance and monitoring, change the septa/lure once in 30 days.

Biological method:

Apply granulosis virus 1.5 x 13 5 IBS / ha (750 diseased larvae/ha)along with teepol twice on 35 and 50 DAP.
Release 125 gravid females of Sturmiopsis inferens a tachinid parasite per ac.

Chemical method:

Apply any one of the following insecticides if the pest crosses ETL.
Carboryl +Sevidol 4% G 12.5 kg, Carbofuran 3G 33 kg (Soil application). The granular application should be immediately followed by irrigation.
Chlorpyriphos 1000 ml a sticker like Teepol (250 ml / 500 l of water) can also be added to make the solution stick onto the surface of the crop and it is preferable to use high volume sprayer to be most effective.