Pest Management of garlic

Pest Management of garlic

Major insects and control measures:

Thrips (Thrips sp.): Both nymphs and adults feed on the plant. They suck the sap of

the plant from younger leaves to the growing points. The older leaves become

withered or blasted in appearance.

Control measures:

• Thrips population is at its peak usually from late January to March, so early

planting (October) is desirable.

• Burning of infested leaves.

• Spraying of chemicals (Imidacloprid/Fipronil) @ 1ml/l of water.

Mites (Aceria tulipae): The pest is either seed-borne or mulch-borne. The affected

plants become twisted and distorted with yellowish or pale-green streaks on the

leaves. The leaf blade may not emerge readily from the cloves and the leaves separate

poorly after emergence. The damage is called "tangle top."

Controlmeasures:

• Treat seeds with recommended chemicals.

• For field infestation, apply the Virtimec @ 2 ml/l water as early as the sign of

infestation appears and repeat at 7 to 10 days interval until the pest is controlled.