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Sci Tech
Managing pests in peas, beans
Green Peas and French beans are grown in higher elevations such as Nilgiris and Palani hills. They are often susceptible to insect attacks such as leaf miner, which tunnels in to the leaf.
Plant wilt
As a result, the plant cannot photosynthesize sufficiently which in turn causes stunted growth and poor yield. The maggots of stem fly burrow into the stem core which results in wilting of the plant.
In newly cultivated lands, the greasy cutworms, cut the plants at the collar region and trample the plants at a young stage, causing reduction in plant population.
During vegetative and flowering stages, sucking pests such as aphids, thrips, white flies, leaf hoppers and mites cause damage the leaf sap.
Sometimes leaf eating beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers also defoliate the plants. During pod formation stage the pod borer caterpillar Helicoverpa armigera bores into the pods by making round holes and eats away the seeds. For the control of sucking pests, the infested parts can be clipped off manually and destroyed.
Cow dung ashes may be sprinkled over the infested crops. Yellow sticky traps may be erected at 20 numbers per acre. Neem seed kernel extract at 5 per cent or formulations of monocrotophos or dimethoate at 1 ml per litre of water may be sprayed. For control of leaf miners and stem flies, spraying 2 ml endosulfan per litre of water is advocated.
Light traps
To manage cutworms and pod borers, fallow ploughing may be practised so as to expose the larvae and hibernating pupae to their natural enemies. Light traps and pheromone traps can be set up to attract adult moths for collection and destruction. Dusting 5 per cent carbaryl would be effective in combating leaf eating insects.
J. JAYARAJ
& S. BALAKRISHNAN
Horticultural Research Station, Thadiyankudisai
Perumparai ,Dindugul
Tamil Nadu
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