NON-CHEMICAL CONTROL OF PESTS OF VEGETABLES

NON-CHEMICAL CONTROL OF PESTS OF VEGETABLES


The American serpentine leaf miner is a recently introduced polyphagous pest infesting crops like cucurbits, brinjal, cowpea, sesame, groundnut and ornamentals. Larvae mine into the leaves and exhibit irregular serpentine like lines. As a result of the attack, leaves dry up and cause extensive damage. Spray neem oil emulsion for controlling the pest.
Amaranth leaf webber and grasshopper, okra leaf roller, epilachna beetle on brinjal and bitter gourd, aphids, jassids and mealy bugs on brinjal and okra can be controlled by 4% leaf extracts of neem / thevetia / clerodendron with soap water. Okra fruits can be protected from infestation by fruit borers by spraying 4% leaf extracts of thevetia / neem.

Preparation of plant extract emulsion

Soak 400 g of leaf powder (leaves dried under shade and powdered) in one litre of water for 24 hours and filter though muslin cloth. Dissolve 400 g of ordinary bar soap shavings in 9 litres of water. Pour this soap solution to the plant extract and mix thoroughly. This forms 4% emulsion of plant extract.