2. 1. The shoot borer, Dichocrosis punctiferalis
(Pyralidae: Lepidoptera)
Activity:
• most serious insect pest of ginger.
• The pest population is higher in the field during September-October.
Nature of damage:
• Damage by caterpillar.
• The larvae bore into pseudostems and feed on internal tissues resulting in
yellowing and drying of leaves of infested pseudostems.
• The presence of a bore-hole on the pseudostem through which frass is extruded
and the withered and yellow central shoot is a characteristic symptom of pest
infestation.
• Affected plants turns yellow and dry up.
Marks of identification/Life history:
• The adult is a medium sized moth with a wingspan of about 20 mm.
• the wings are orange-yellow with minute black spots.
• Fully-grown larvae are light brown with sparse hairs.
3.
4. Management
• Collect and destroy the damaged plant parts.
• Use light trap 1/ha to monitor the activity of
adults.
• Spray neem oil 3 % or NSKE 5%.
• Apply Chlorpyriphos/ quinalphos @2 ml/L.
5. 2. Spice beetle, Stegobium paniceum
(Anobiidae: Coleoptera)
Damage
• The grubs and adults feed on dry ginger in ware houses
• The grubs tunnel rhizomes by cutting microscopic holes
and continues feeding from inside.
Management
• This pest can be controlled by giving a heat treatment
(54-66oC for 6 h) to rhizomes.
• Dusting of warehouse with pyrethrin also controls this
pest.
6.
7. 3. Cotton thrips or Onion thrips,
Thrips tabaci (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)
• Distribution: Kerala, Himachal Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh and Maharastra.
8. 4. The rhizome scale, Aspidiella hartii (Diaspididae: Homoptera)
Activity
• infests rhizomes in the field (at later stages) and in storage.
• Multiplies faster in stored ginger rhizome.
Nature of damage
• Adult (female) scales are circular (about 1 mm diameter) and light brown
to grey and appear as encrustations on the rhizomes.
• They feed on sap and when the rhizomes are severely infested, they
become shriveled and desiccated affecting its germination.
• Rhizome in the field are also attacked by scales, infested plant turn pale
and dries.
Mangement
• The rhizome scale can be managed by timely harvest, discarding severely
infested rhizomes, and treating the seed rhizomes with quinalphos
@2ml/L (for 20-30 minutes) before storage and also before sowing in case
the infestation persists.
• The seed rhizome may be stored in sawdust + Strychnos nuxvomica leaves
(dried) after seed treatment.
9.
10. 5.Leaf folder, Udaspes folus
(Hesperiidae: Lepidoptera)
Activity: Monsoon season
Damage:
• Larvae of leaf roller cut and fold leaves and feed from,
also web the leaves and feed within
Identification/Life cycle
• The adults are medium sized butterflies with brownish
black wings with white spots; the larvae are dark
green.
• Life cycle: Egg period- 4.1 days, larval- 13-25 days, five
larval instar, full grown larva-36mm long, pupal period-
6-7days.
12. Management:
• A spray with chlorpyriphos/quinalphos
@2ml/L may be undertaken when the severe
infestation.
13. 6. Root grubs (Holotrichia spp.)
(Scarabidae:Coleoptera)
Nature of damage:
• Occasionally feed on tender rhizomes, roots
and base of pseudostems causing yellowing
and wilting of shoots.
Management:
• The pest can be controlled by drenching the
soil around the rhizomes with chloropyriphos
5ml/L.
14.
15. Stored product pests
• Drug store beetle, Stegobium paniceum
(Coleoptera: Anobiidae)
• Tobacco borer beetle, Lasioderma serricorne
(Coleoptera: Anobiidae)
• They attack stored ginger.
• Fumigation of store house.
• Mite pest: Rhizoglyphus sp.: Some times attack in
large number in stored rhizome and spoil the
appearance of the produce.
