Pest management of Onion

Pest management of Onion

Major insects and control measures:

Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci): The most common and serious pests are found in

onion production. During dry and warm weather thrips feed on leaf surfaces and

leaves become white. The insect has many host plants and adults and nymphs over

winter on plants or plant debris or in weeds bordering the field.

Control measures:

• Preventive measures should be taken including destruction of weeds as they are

alternate hosts.

• Badly infested leaves should be removed.

• The crop should be sprayed with insecticides like Admire/Score @ 2 ml/l of water

at 15 days interval to keep the seed crops free from insect-pests.

Cutworm (Agrotis spp): It is a nocturnal insect. At night, after cutting the plants at

collar region, the insect escapes itself in the soil near the plant.

Control measures:

• The insect should be controlled by hands after digging the soil near the infected

plants.

• Flood irrigation should be done.

Bolting and sprouting in storage:

Application of Maleic hydrazide (MH) checks premature bolting and sprouting in

storage. Spraying MH @ 2000-2500 ppm just before neck fall in rabi onion are

recommended.