Pests of Groundnut
Pest Leaf-miner
Caterpillars mine the
tender leaves and later fold the adjacent leaves to feed within. Pest active during July
to December; drought, with occasional showers favourable.
Control: Dust 4% Carbaryl,
Groundnut aphid
Vector of a virus disease (rosette), dry and warm weather, favourable.
Control: Spray 0.03% Dimethoate
or Phosphamidon, Monocroptophos or Methyl-demeton
White grub
The adults emerge immediately after the monsoon; grubs feed on roots and kill the plants.
Control:Grubs very difficult to kill; the application of 10% Phorate granules is to be effective.
Diseases Of Groundnut
Root rot
Reddish brown discolouration on the stem, spreading and the plant collapsing; tissues blackened and numerous tiny black scleriotia are formed
Control:Practise crop rotation, treat seed with Agrosan GN or Ceresan or Thiram @ 3gram per kg of seed.
Tikka disease or leaf spot
Dark spots surrounded by a bright-yellow ring on the leaves and sometimes on the petiole and the stem; premature leaf-shedding is characteristic.
Control: Spray with Brestan or with 4:4:50 Bordeaux mixture or with 0.2% Ziram or Zineb or Maneb.
Bunchy top
Leaves reduced in size and malformed; suppression of the internodes; partial sterility.
Control:Use well-developed disease free seeds, rogue out diseased plants.
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