Major pests of Amaranthus are:-
1.Amaranthus weevil: Hypolixus truncatulus
Symptoms of damage:
- Irregular zig-zag tunnels in the pith region filled with excreta
- Gall-like thickening and longitudinal splitting of stem
- Suppression of root and leaf production
Identification of pest:
- Egg: Smooth, oval, pale yellow in colour, laid singly in stem
- Grub: Stout, curved, legless and white in colour
- Adult: Ash grey in colour with brown elytra and has a very long snout
Management:
- Collect and destroy wild amaranthus hosts in the vicinity of cultivated crop
- Collect and destroy affected plant parts along with grubs and adults
- Spray malathion 50 EC 2 ml/lit after the harvest of leaf
2.Leaf Caterpillar: Hymenia recurvalis
Symptoms of damage:
- The Web the leaves with silken threads and feed within
- Webbed leaves become devoid of chlorophyll and dry up
Identification of pest:
- Larva: Greenish with white lines and black crescents on thorax below the lateral lines
- Adult: Small, black coloured, moth with slender body.Wings dark brown in colour with white wavy markings
Management:
- Collect and destroy affected plant parts with caterpillars
- Set up light trap @1/ha to attract and kill the adults
- Spray malathion 50 EC 1 ml/ lit
3.Leaf webber: Psara basalis
Symptoms of damage:
- Webbing of leaves with silken threads
Identification of pest:
- Larva: Green in colour
- Adult: small moth with yellowish white thorax and abdomen, brownish red forewing and dark brown hind wing.
Management:
- Collect and destroy affected plant parts with caterpillars
- Set up light trap @ 1/ha to attract and kill the adults
- Spray malathion 50 EC 1 ml/ lit
Source-
- TamilNadu Agritech Portal
