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Mustard Aphid control measures, Pest characters, and Nature of Damage
Scientific name: Lipaphis erysimi.
Family: Aphididae.
Order: Hemiptera.
Pest characters of Mustard Aphid
1. Aphids are small, soft-bodied, pearl-shaped insects that have a pair of cornicles (wax secreting tubes) projecting out from the fifth or sixth abdominal segment.
2. Light green to dark blackish green insect.
Nature of Damage of Mustard Aphid
1. Mustard aphid plays the key role in destroying the oilseed.
2. Clusters of nymph and adults may be seen on the tender leaves, flower, stocks and pods. Sucking the cell sap and giving out honeydew.
3. The infested leaves turn on yellowish pale and acquire a curly appearance and ultimately the flowers fail to form pods.
Mustard Aphid Control Measures/Management
A) Nonchemical control of Mustard Aphid
1) Set up yellow sticky trap to monitor aphid population.
2) Destroy the affected parts along with the aphid population in the initial stage.
3) Predatory bird Motacilla cospica is actively feeding over aphids in February March.
B) Chemical control of Mustard Aphid
1. Spraying Malathion/ Diazinon.
2. Spray the crop with one of the following in the flowering stage; oxydemeton methyl, dimethoate @ 625 1000 ml per ha.
Important Agricultural Websites
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