Insect Pests of Pearl Millet & Finger Millet & Their Management

Insect Pests of Pearl Millet and Finger Millet

Pests of Pearl Millet

Major Pests

1.Shoot fly

Scientific name: Atherigona approximata,

Damage symptoms

• It attacks the crop both in seedlings and boot leaf stage.
• It causes dead hearts in young plants and chaffy grains in the mature crop

Management

• As given under sorghum

2.Stem borer

Scientific name: Chilo partellus

Damage symptoms

• It infests the crop a month after sowing and upto emergence of ear head.
• Central shoot withering leading to “dead heart” is the typical damage symptom.
• Bore holes visible on the stem near the nodes.
• Young larva crawls and feeds on tender
• Folded leaves causing typical “shot hole” symptom.

Management

• As given as sorghum

3.Pink stemborer

Scientific name: Sesamia inferens

Host Range– Sorghum, Maize, Rice, Wheat, Sugarcane, Bajra & Ragi, Barley

Damage symptoms

• Pink larva enters into the stem causing dead heart symptom

4.Grain midge

Scientific name: Geromyia penniseti

Symptoms

• Maggot feeds on developing grains causing grainless glumes with white pupal case attached to the tip of the spikelet.

Management

• Dust– malathion 5D 25 kg, carbaryl 10 D 25 kg, Endosulfan 4 D 10 kg/ha.

5.Stink bug

Scientific name: Nezara viridula

Damage symptoms

• Grains become chaffy or spotted black and get shrivelled.
• A stinking smell emanates from the bug.

Minor Pests

6.Leaf beetle

Scientific name: Lema downsei

Damage symptoms

• Grubs and adults scrape the chlorophyll.
• It results in withering and drying of leaves leading to burnt up appearance.

7.Black hairy caterpillar

Scientific name: Estigmene lactinea

Damage symptoms

• Larva feeds on leaves voraciously and causes severe defoliation

8.Wingless grasshopper

Scientific name Neorthacris simulans

Damage symptoms

• Both nymphs and adults feed on leaves and cause defoliation

9.Semilooper

Scientific name: Antoba silicula

Hosts– Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Finger Millet

Damage symptoms

• Extensive webbing of grains and presence of broken grains on the ear head.

Pests of Finger Millet

Major Pests

1.Pink stem borer

Scientific name: Sesamia inferens

Damage symptoms

• Pink larva enters into the stem and causes dead heart symptom.

Management

• Spray cartap hydrochloride 4G @ 25kg/ha, fipronil 0.3G 15kg, chlorpyriphos 10G 10kg,in whorls .

2.White borer

Scientific name: Saluria inficita

Damage symptoms

• A potential pest on finger millet in South India.
• Larva bores into the stem at the base of the tiller close to the soil level and causes dead heart.

3.Root Aphid

Scientific name: Tetraneura nigriabdominalisi 

Damage symptoms

• Aphid remains at the base of the plant and suck the sap.
• The infested plants turn pale yellow and become stunted.
• Wilting and drying of plants in patches is the typical symptom.

Management

Spraying the base of attacked plants with a contact or systemic insecticides controls the aphid.

4.Cut worm

Scientific name: Spodoptera exigua

Damage symptoms: Defoliation

Host Range– Onion, Brinjal, Cotton, Cowpea, Chillies, Daincha.

Minor Pests

5.Flea beetle

Scientific name: Chaetocnema pusaensis

Damage symptoms

• Adult beetles cause small holes in the leaves of young plants.

6.Earhead caterpillars

Scientific name: Sitotroga cerealella

Damage symptoms

• It is a major stored product pest.
• Under field conditions larvae feed on the developing grains

Management of finger millet pests

• Spray insecticides mixed in 10 L of water using a high volume of sprayer if dusting is not done to protect the seedling in the nursery as methyl demeton 25 EC 20 ml and dimethoate 30 EC 20 ml.
• Spray insecticides/ha for the control of stemborer, leaf feeder- Endosulfan 35 EC 1000 ml & carbaryl 50 WP 1 kg.
• Spray carbaryl 50 WP 1 kg/ha at milky stage to check ear head bug and ear head caterpillars.
• Mix dimethoate 30EC 3 ml in 1 litre of water & drench the rhizosphere of the infested & surrounding plants with solution to check the root aphid.

Questions	Answer
Chaffy or spotted black & shriveled grain is the symptom of ___ in bajra?	Stink bug
Webbing of grains & presence of broken grains are the symptoms of__ in bajra?	Semilooper
Dead hearts in young plants and chaffy grains in developed grains are the symptoms of ___ in pearlmillet?	Stem borer
Presence of ants for honey dew secretion in Finger millet is an the indication of?	Root Aphid
Site of pupation of cut worms in is?	Earthern cocoon in soil
Potential pest of finger millet under South Indian conditions is___ Pink?	Stem borer
Grainless glumes with white pupal case is the symptom of__ in bajra?	Grain midge

Questions of Sorghum, Pearl millet & Finger millet

Q.1 To minimize sorghum stem borer damage cowpea or lab lab is sown as intercrop in the ratio?

• 4:1
• 2:1
• 3:2
• 1:2

Answer

Q.2 Which is the following pest attack is a month old sorghum crop after sowing and upto emergency of ear head?

• Shoot fly
• Stem borer
• Pink stem borer
• White stem borer

Answer

Q.3 The affected sorghum plant producing more side tillers is due to attacking of?

• Shoot fly
• Stem borer
• Pink stem borer
• White stem borer

Answer

Q.4 Diapause occurs in Red hairy caterpillar?

• Egg
• Larval
• Pupal
• Adult

Answer

Q.5 Type of diapause is occurred in sorghum grain midge?

• Egg
• Larval
• Pupal
• Adult

Answer

Q.6 Acts as an vector for transmitting chlorosis diseases on sorghum?

• Shoot bug
• Earhead bug
• Mirid bug
• Plant bug

Answer

Q.7 ___transmits freckled yellow disease in sorghum?

• Shoot bug
• Earhead bug
• Mirid bug
• Plant bug

Answer

Q.8 Thosea apierens belongs to the following family?

• Muscidae
• Cochlidae
• Crambidae
• Miridae

Answer

Q.9 Among the following one is a serious pest of cumbu?

• Atherigona approximate
• Chilo partellus
• Atherigona orientalis
• Sesamia inferens

Answer

Q.10 Chaffy shriveled millet grains with black spots is the typical symptom of?

• Stink bug
• Grain midge
• Ear head bug
• Soot bug

Answer

Q.11 ____ is the scientific name of shoot fly of pearl millet?

• Atherigona approximate
• Atherigona orientalis
• Atherigona soccata
• Atherigona oryzae

Answer

Q.12 Withering and drying of leaves leading to burnt appearance is the damage symptom?

• Leaf beetle
• Ash weevil
• Flea beetle
• Black hairy caterpillar

Answer

Q.13 Shot holes in millets is caused by?

• Leaf beetle
• Stem borer
• Pink stem borer
• Gall midge

Answer

Q.14 —- is a pest of pearl millet at seedling and boot leaf stage?

• Shoot fly
• Stem borer
• Pink stem borer
• Gall midge

Answer

Q.15 —- is site of pupation for sorghum shoot fly?

• Stem
• Soil
• Both Stem & Soil
• Leaf

Answer

Q.16 White pupal case protruding out from the chaffy sorghum grains with holes are the damage symptoms of?

• Grain midge
• Earhead bug
• Mirid bug
• Shoot bug

Answer

Q.17 Alternate host of sorghum shoot fly is?

• Maize
• Ragi
• Wheat
• all the above

Answer

Q.18 Alternate host of Chilo partellus is?

• Black gram
• Sesame
• Maize
• All the above

Answer

Q.19 Alternate host of Sesamia inferens is?

• Sugarcane
• wheat
• Rice
• All the above

Answer

Q.20 Alternate host of red hairy caterpillar?

• Green Gram
• Castor
• Cotton
• All the above

Answer

Q.21 Alternate host of Peregrinus maidis is?

• Sugarcane
• Groundnut
• Rice
• All the above

Answer

Q.22 Alternate host of Rhopalosiphum maidis is?

• Maize
• Sorghum
• Ragi
• All the above

Answer

Q.23 Alternate host of Helicoverpa armigera?

• Cotton
• Tomato
• Groundnut
• All the above

Answer

Q.24 Arpocarb fishmeal is used to attract?

• Gram caterpillar
• Shoot fly
• Pink stem borer
• Red hairy caterpillar

Answer

Insect Pests of Pearl Millet and Finger Millet