Untitled Document

Measures for control of Insect Pest of Cotton

Sl. No.	Growth Phase/Pest	Method		Integrated Control Measures.
1.	Pre Sowing
				Deep ploughing
				Destroy alternative host of Insect pest
2.	Sowing
	Soil & Seed Borne Diseases	Modern cultivation		Use resistant variety Use disease free quality seed
		Chemical control		Use acid delinted seed Use recommended fungicide
	Sucking pest	Modern cultivation		Early sowing of seed Maintain recommended spacing & fertilizer dose
		Chemical control		Treated seed with recommanded Insecticides
	Weed	Chemical control		Use non-selective herbicides before sowing and selective herbicides after sowing.
3.	Vegetative growth phase
	Weed		Modern cultivation		Control weed by hand hoe.
	Sucking pest		Modern cultivation		Cultivate trap crop and Intercrop
			Biological control		Conserve natural enemies in the cotton field Use herbal Insecticide.
			Chemical Control		Spray recommended Insecticide if the intensity of insect crosses the ETL level.
	Chewing Pest		Mechanical control		Hand picking and perching in the cotton field.
			Modern cultivation		Foliar spray of Urea and MoP at the same time
			Chemical control		Spray recommended Insecticide if the intensity of insect crosses the ETL level.

	American bollworm & Spodoptera.	Monitoring	Use molasses trap in the cotton field.
		Mechanical control	Hand peking and pearcing in the cotton field.
		Chemical control	Spray recommended Insecticide if the intensity of insect crosses the ETL level.
	White fly	Monitoring	Use yellow plate with glue as trap
	Disease	Modern cultivation	Destroy affected plant.
4.	Primary boll formation phase
	Weed	Mechanical control	Control weed by hand hoe.
	Sucking pest	Modern cultivation	Cultivate trap crop and Intercrop
	Sucking pest	Biological Control	Conserve beneficial insects in the cotton field .
	Bollworm & Spodoptera.	Monitoring	Use molasses trap in the cotton field.
		Modern cultivation	Cultivate trap crop beside the cotton field.
		Biological control	Use Tricogramma sp. and conserve beneficial insects in the cotton field.
		Mechanical control	Hand peaking and pearcing
		Chemical control	Spray recommended Insecticide if the intensity of insect crosses the ETL level.
	White fly	Monitoring	Use yellow plate with glue as trap.
	White fly	Biological control	Use herbal insecticides like-Neem extract.
5.	Maximum flower and boll formation phase.
	White fly	Monitoring	Use yellow plate with glue as trap
		Biological control	Use herbal insecticides like-Neem extract.
		Chemical control	Spray recommended Insecticides if the intensity of insect crosses the ETL level.
	Bollworm and Spodoptera	Monitoring	Use molasses/pheromone trap in the cotton field
		Modern cultivation	Detopping at 18-20 node. Cultivate trap crop beside the cotton field.
		Biological control	Use Bt and NPV powder at 250-500ml/ha Use herbal insecticide like-Neem extract.
		Mechanical control	Hand pecking and perching
		Chemical control	Spray recommended Insecticide if the intensity of insect crosses the ETL level.
6.	Boll busting Phase
	White fly & Jassid	Biological control	Use herbal insecticides like –Neem extract.
	White fly & Jassid	Chemical control	Spray recommended Insecticides if the intensity of insect crosses the ETL level.
	Bollworm	Modern cultivation	Stop or retionalized folier spray and Irrigation
		Monitoring	Use Molasses trap and clean regularly
		Mechanical control	Hand picking and perching
	Red cotton bug	Modern cultivation	Cultivate trap crop on the Ail of cotton field
	Red cotton bug	Mechanical control	Destroy insects when appeared
7.	Last pecking stage
			Encourage cattle grazing in the cotton field
			Destroy affected cotton plant with disease and insect.

Molasses Trap

The trap is to be made of molasses, coconut-shell, narrow bamboo pole, thread, lid, etc. Cracking the upper end of the bamboo pole is to be driven into the field in considering the height of the plant. Eight to ten bamboo poles are enough to cover one bigha (1350 m2) land. The coconut –shell is to be tied with thread after placing it on to the crack side of the bamboo pole. On each coconut-shell 60-70 grams molasses is to be filled and 500-600 grams molasses is quite enough to check the pests from one bigha land. Many farmers sometimes mixed powdered insecticide with molasses. The sweet fragrance of molasses attracts pests and while they come close to molasses to eat it, their body is gummed with molasses of sticky characteristic and then they meet the welcome of death spontaneously.
Generally, trap is to be established in the evening. In the day, the moths of caterpillar (Lepidoptera) hide in the inside or outside of the field. As soon as it is evening the moths come outside in quest of foods and the sweet smell of molasses summons them towards the trap.
In case of Lepidoptera insect susceptible crops, the trap can be established at the time of sowing or transplanting of the crops. But it is wise to establish the trap after being assured about the presence or abundance of moth by visiting the field regularly.
Only adult pest (moth, fly, beetle, etc) is trapped apparently, Especially, the moth of cotton American bollworm, cotton leaf roller, rice leaf folder, rice ear-cutting caterpillar, jute semi-lopper, housefly, horsefly, etc. are the prime victim of the trap.
It is very essential to clean the trap every morning otherwise it will loose its effectiveness covering with the dead pests. If the trap is not used for long time then only covering with lid will keep the molasses effective as usual. Generally, replacing of molasses is not necessary but if in the cause of rainwater it will be thinner then changing of molasses is inevitable.
The Entomologists have discovered sex-pheromone to catch the moths by applying it, but it is only applicable against particular pests and also rare. On the other hand, many of the moths (lepidoptera) are attracted to the molasses trap and then died. It will save our crops as well as environment by reducing insecticide application. The usage of our own easily available assets molasses will be certain, foreign currency spent on purchasing insecticide will be saved and, it is to be said surely that it will keep our health free from fetal effect of poisonous insecticide.