Major pests of Moringa are:-
1.Bud worm: Noorda moringae
Symptoms of damage:
- Larva bores into flower buds and causes shedding
Identification of pest:
- Eggs: Creamy oval eggs laid singly on flower buds
- Larva: Dirty brown with a prominent mid-dorsal stripe, black head, and prothoracic shield
- Pupa: Pupation takes place in earthen cocoon in the soil
- Adult: Forewings are dark brown in colour, Hind wings are white with brown border
Management:
- Collect and destroy the flower and buds
- Spray malathion 1 litre/hectare
2.Leaf caterpillar: Noorda blitealis
Symptoms of damage:
- Larva feeds on the leaflets reducing them into papery structures
Identification of pest:
- Egg: creamy white oval eggs and laid in clusters on leaves
- Larva: Devoid of prothoracic shield
- Adult: Similar to N. moringae but bigger in size
Management:
- Plough around trees to expose and kill pupae
- Collect and destroy damaged buds along with caterpillar
- Set up light trap @ 1/ha
- Spray insecticides like carbaryl 50 WP@ 1gm/lit or malathion 50 EC 2 ml/lit of water
3.Hairy caterpillar Eupterote mollifera
Symptoms of damage:
- Larva seen in groups in tree trunks
- Feed gregariously
- Scraping the bark and gnawing foliage
- Severe infestation leads to defoliation of the tree
Identification of pest:
- Eggs: Laid in clusters on leaves and tender stem
- Larva: Brownish in colour with densely hairy
- Adult: Large size moth with uniform light yellowish brown in colour
Management:
- Collect and destroy egg masses and caterpillars
- Set up light trap @ 1/ha to attract and kill adults immediately after rain
- Use burning torch to kill congregating larvae on the trunk
- Spray FORS @ 25g/lit or carbaryl 50 WP @ 2g/lit.
4.Pod fly: Gitona distigma
Symptoms of damage:
- Drying and splitting of fruits from tip
- Oozing of gummy exudate from fruit
Identification of pest:
- Egg: Cigar shaped, laid in groups on the grooves of tender pods
- Maggot: Cream coloured maggot
- Adult: Yellowish fly with red eyes
Management:
- Collect and destroy all the fallen and damaged fruits
- Use attractants like citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, vinegar (Acetic acid), dextrose or lactic acid
- Rake up the soil under the trees or plough the infested field to destroy puparia
- Spray insecticides like Nimbecidine 3ml/lit during 50 % fruit set and 35 days later.
5.Bark caterpillar: Indarbela tetraonis
Symptoms of damage:
- Zig-zag galleries and silken webbed masses comprising of chewed material and excreta of larva
Identification of pest:
- Larva: long, stout and dirty brown in colour
- Adult: Pale brown moth. Forewings have brown spots and streaks, Hind wings are white in colour
Management:
- Clean all webbed material, plug the holes with cotton wool soaked in fumigants like chloroform, formalin or petrol and seal it with mud
Source-
- TamilNadu Agritech Portal
