it is the disease and insect of some oilseed crop. The reference is collected from website and Krishi Dairy.

1. A NOTE OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
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DISEASE AND INSECT OF OILSEED
1. RAPESEEDS AND MUSTARD
Insects Pests
i. Mustard Sawfly (Athalia lugens)
Nature of Damage:
 The larvae of mustard saw fly feed on leaves and make holes.
 It appears in the month of October and its peak season of activity is in
November.
Control Measures
 Collection and destruction of larvae at morning and evening time.
 Field sanitation and deep ploughing.
 Use of biopesticides like Margosom, Annosom show significant effect on
management of this pest.
 Spray 1.5 liter of Malathion 50 EC or 2.0 liter of Chlorpyriphos 20 EC
per ha in 500-1000 liter of water
ii. Mustard Aphid (Lipaphis erysimi)
Nature of damage:
 The affected leaves usually curl and in case of severe infestation the
plant wilt and dry.
Control Measures
 Early sowing the crop, preferably up to third week of October.
 Apply fertilizer as recommended dose.
 Releasing and rearing of predator like ladybird beetle.
 Spay 660ml of Dimethoate 30 EC in 500-1000 liter of water per ha.
iii. Bihar Hairy Caterpillar (Spilosoma obligua)
Nature of damage:
 The newly hatched caterpillars remain in clusters on the lower surface
of the leaves and feed on the epidermis.
 The grown-up larvae disperse and feed in isolation.
Control Measures
 Clipping and destruction of eggs should be followed.
 Grown up caterpillars can be controlled by the spray of Malathion 50
EC, Thiodan 35 EC at the rate of 1-1.25 litres in 1000 liters of water per
hectare.
 Spray Cypermethrin at the rate of 1.5 ml/L of water.
Diseases
1. Alternaria Blight (Alternaria brassicae)
Symptom:
 The pathogen perpetuates through seed and affected plant portion
(refuse) in the soil.

2. A NOTE OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
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 The disease is characterized by the appearance of concentric black spots
on leaves, stem and pods.
Control Measures
 Plant healthy seed produced from healthy plants.
 Seed treatment with Captan @ 2 gram/kg seed before planting or
sowing.
 Remove the diseased plants immediately.
 Adopt Crop Rotation.
 Spray Copper oxychloride 50% WP fungicide 2-3 gram/litre of water
2. Downy Mildew (Peronospora brassicae)
Symptom:
 In the disease affected plants, yellow, irregular spots appear on the
upper surface of the leaves and white growth is visible on the under-
surface opposite to spots.
 If the attack is severe, inflorescence is also affected. The affected
inflorescence is malformed, twisted and covered with a white powder. No
pods are produced on such inflorescence.
Control Measures
 Remove the diseased plants immediately to prevent further infection.
 Seed treatment with Captan @ 2 gram/kg seed before planting or
sowing.
 Spray periodically Copper oxychloride 50% WP @ 2-3 gram/liter water
to prevent this disease.
3. White Blister (Albugo candida)
Symptom:
 The disease is characterized by white raised blisters on leaves, stem,
petiole and floral parts.
 These blisters burst and liberate a white powder.
Control Measures
 Similar to that of Alternaria blight control measures.

3. A NOTE OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
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SUNFLOWER
Disease:
i) Alternaria Blight (Alternaria helianthi)
Symptom:
 The spots are surrounded by necrotic chlorotic zone with grey white
necrotic center marked with concentric rings.
 Spots first appear on lower leaves, later spread to middle and upper
leaves.
Control:
 Plant healthy seed produced from healthy plants.
 Seed treatment with Captan @ 2 gram/kg seed before planting or
sowing.
 Remove the diseased plants immediately.
 Adopt Crop Rotation.
 Spray Copper oxychloride 50% WP fungicide 2-3 gram/litre of water
ii) Rhizopus Head Rot (Rhizopus sp)
Symptom:
 Initial symptom appears as brown irregular water-soaked spots on the
back of ripening head usually adjacent to flower stalk.
 Maximum rotting is noticed at the soft dough stage.
Control:
 To have effective control of the disease, simultaneous application of
compatible insecticide and fungicide beginning with the completion of
flowering stage is suggested.
 Injury to the head should be avoided as far as practicable.
 Spray Mancozeb @ 2g/lit in case of intermittent rainfall at the head
stage.
iii) Sclerotium wilt or rot (Sclerotium rolfsii)
Symptom: Initial symptoms of the disease are noticed 40 days after
sowing. Sickly appearance of plants can be noticed from a distance and a
row effect can be observed in heavily infested soil. Later the entire plant
withers and dies.
Control:
 Collection and destruction of plant debris.
 Seed treatment with Captan or Carboxin 3g/kg and drenching the base
of the plant with Carbendazim 1g/lit.of water
Insect:
i) Capitulum borer (Head borer) (Helicoverpa armigera)
Nature of damage:
 The larva feeds on the developing seeds and bore the head
 Fungal developed and head starts rotting

4. A NOTE OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
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 The larva consumes leaf in early stage of growth and move towards the
capitulum and tunnel the head
Management:
 Grow inter crops like, green gram, black gram, groundnut, soybean
 Sow trap crops like marigold at 50 plants/acre
 Use of pheromone traps (4 traps/acre) for pest intensity identification as
well as to trap the male moths
 Spraying of 5% Neem oil or 5% Neem Seed Kernal extract before egg
laying
ii) Tobacco caterpillar: Spodoptera litura
Nature of damage:
 The larvae feed on the tender leaves, shoots, bracts and petals.
 Later, the larvae spread in the field causing defoliation
 The larvae also feed on the developing seeds in capitulum
Management:
 Hand pick the Helicoverpa larvae and destroy
 Spray any of the following insecticides like Dichlorvos 76 EC 500 ml/ha
or Phosalone 35 EC 1000 ml/ha or Phosalone 4 D 25 kg/ha
iii) Leaf hopper (jassids): Amrasca biguttula
Nature of damage:
 The adult and nymphs suck the plant sap
 The infected leaves show pale yellow colouration
 In case of heavy infestation, the leaves turn inward.
 The leaf edges may turn light pinkish brown
Management:
 Treat seed with imidacloprid 70 WS at 7 g/kg protected the sunflower
plants from leaf hopper up to 7 weeks.
 Spray Imidacloprid 70% WS 490 ml/ha or Imidacloprid 17.8% SL 100
ml/ha

5. A NOTE OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
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LINSEED
Diseases
1. Alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria lini)
Symptoms: Distinct round, oval or irregular brownish color spot are visible
which later turns brownish to black.
Control:
 Collect and burn the affected plant parts.
 Spray Mancozeb 75 WP @3gm/lit. of water.
 Treat the seed with carbendazim @3gm/kg seed.
2. Downy mildew (Pernospora brassicae)
Symptoms: It appears at later stage of crop growth. It forms light green to
yellow spots on the upper surface of the leaf and on the lower surface
opposite to the yellow spot dirty white cottony growth of fungus can be
observed.
Control:
 Crop rotation and clean cultivation.
 Seed treatment and collect and burn the affected plant parts.
 Spray carbendazim @2gm/lt of water or Mancozeb @ 0.2% at every 10
days interval for 2 times.
3. Rust: (Melampsora lini)
Symptoms: It is characterized by appearance of pink to brown pustules on
leaf and stem. Later on rusty powdery mass gets collected on the under
surface of the leaf as well as on the stem. In case of severe infection the
growth and development of plant stops completely.
Control:
 Collect the infected plant parts and burn.
 Seed treatment with Carbendazim @ 2.5gm/kg seed.
 Spray Carbendazim or Mancozeb @ 0.2% at every 10 days interval for 2
times.
4. Powdery Mildew (Oidium lini)
Symptoms: It appears at later stage of crop growth. It forms light green to
yellow spots on the upper surface of the leaf and on the lower surface
opposite to the yellow spot dirty white cottony growth of fungus can be
observed.
Control:
 Crop rotation and clean cultivation.
 Collect and burn the affected plant parts.
 Spray Carbendazim @2gm/lt of water.

6. A NOTE OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
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Insect pests
1. Caterpillar:
Nature of Damage: Caterpillar defoliates the leaves and also damages the
tender capsule in the plant.
Control:
 If possible, the caterpillar should be hand-picked and destroyed
manually.
 Spray biopesticides Azadirachtin 0.03% EC 5 ml/ litre of water
 Spray Cypermethrin 10% EC 1ml/ litre of water or Emamectin
Benzoate 5% S.G 1.5 ml/ litre of water.
2. Leaf Miner:
Nature of Damage: Larva of butterfly enters into the leaf and feed internally
making tunnels in the leaves. They affect the plant by reducing the
photosynthetic area by eating the chlorophyll tissue of the leaves.
Control:
 Hand picking of infected plant parts and destroying it properly.
 Spray with biopesticide Azadirachtin 0.03% EC @ 5ml/litre of water
 Apply Beauveria bassiana biopesticide @2.5 ml/ litre of water
 Spray Emamectin benzoate 5% SG 0.5 gram/ litre of water

7. A NOTE OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
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Groundnut
Disease:
1. Tikka
Symptom
- Small, circular to irregularly shaped dark spots on leaves.
- Lesions may exhibit a concentric ring pattern resembling a target or
"tikka."
Control
- Collect and destroy the stubbles of crop.
- Raised trap crops.
- Seed treatment should be done using Captan 50% W.P @ 2gram per kg
of Seed.
- Spray fungicide copper oxychloride 50% WP 2-3 gram/litre or
Carbendazim 50% WP @ 1.5ml/Litre of water.
2. Rossete
Symptom
- The plant is abnormally stunted and the plant is small.
- The veins of the leaves of the plant grow and the leaves fold upside.
- Plant do not bears pod on plants.
Control
- Burn infected plants.
- Crop rotation.
- Spray with Dimethoate 30% EC @ 1ml per litre of water.
3. Leaf rust
Symptom
- Orange yellow granular spots appear on the lower surface of the leaf
and brown spots appear on the upper surface.
Control
- Use healthy seed.
- Seed treatment should be done by Captan @ 2.5gram/kg of seed.
- Spray with Chlorothalonil 75% W.P 2gram per liter of water at the
interval of 15-20 days.
4. Seedling Blight
Symptom
- The root is rot in early stage of plant.
Control
- Seed should be stored in dry place.
- Treat the seed with fungicide Captan 50%WP 2.5gram/kg of seed.

8. A NOTE OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTION
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Insect
1. Termites
2. White grub
3. Leaf miner
4. Aphids