Early shoot borer

Symptom

It attacks the cane stalks in the early growth stage. Larvae enter the cane laterally through one or more holes in the stalks (shoot). It bores downwards as well as upwards killing the growing point. Thus it cuts the central leaf spindle, which eventually dries forming a dead heart'.

The dead heart can be easily pulled out. It emits an offensive odour. Borer infestation during the germination phase kills the mother shoots resulting in the drying up of the entire clump. When borer infects cane stalks, both yield and quality are reduced. ETL: 15 % dead heart during vegetative stage (young shoots). (C.O: Chilo infuscatellus).

Management

Follow deep summer ploughing. Trash mulching on ridges. Intercrop with green gram, black gram or dhaincha. Give light earthing up for the crop three months after planting. Use pheromone traps @ 4-5/acre for monitoring. Installation of light trap with exit option for natural enemies @ 1 per acre.

Release 125 gravid females of Sturmiopsis inferens (tachinid parasitoid) per acre. Release Trichogramma chilonis @ 20,000/acre @ 10 days interval at the time of incidence. In case of severe attack, spray Chlorpyrifos 20 EC (2 ml/litre of water) or Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC (3ml/10 litre of water) or Fipronil 5 SC (3 ml/litre of water).