Pest Management of chilli

Pest Management of chilli

Major insects and control measures:

There are a number of species of insects and pests, causing damage to chillies in Bangladesh.

Amongthese pests: Thrips, mites, aphids and fruit borers are of serious in nature.

Thrips: Thrips and mites cause leaf complex of chilli. Both nymphs and adults damage

the crop. They lacerate the leaf tissue and suck the sap. The infested leaves develop

crinkles and curl upwards. The severely infested plants develop bronze colour.

Control measures:

• Regent/ascend granules (16 kg/ha) as soil application at the time of transplanting

followed by 3-4 sprays of 0.06 per cent Imidacloprid / Fipronil at 10-12 days interval

is found effective.

Mites: Mites occur throughout the year under field condition. However, two peak periods

of infestation are October-November and March-April. The favourable temperature and

humidity requirements for the mites are 180-250C and 80-90% respectively.

Both nymphs and adults suck the cell sap. They feed exclusively on the lower surface of

the leaves. The affected leaves curl downward along the margins of the leaf and appear

like inverted boat shape.

Control measures:

• The chemicals recommended for effective control of mites are Vertimec (2 ml/l water)

and Movento (1ml/l water).

• Alternate use (at an interval of 10-15 days) of these two chemicals is found very effective.

Aphids

Control measures:

• Aphids are controlled by spraying Movento (1 ml/l water),Imidacloprid (0.06 ml/l) and

Quinalphos (2.5 ml/l water).

• Alternate use (at an interval of 7-10 days) of these insecticides are found very

much effective.

Pod borers: Pod borers are polyphagaous and appear both in vegetative and reproductive

phase. Borers enter Chilli pods by second and third instars by making a hole near calyx

and feeds on chilli seed. The affected pods drop off or develop white colour on drying.

Control measures:

• Quinalphos (2.5 ml/l water), Cypermethrin (2 ml/l water) and Chloropyriphos (2.5 ml/l

water) are used for controlling pod borers of chilli.

• Set up pheromone traps for Spodoptera litura at 12 number/ha.