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Pepper

Pollu beetle

Symptoms of damage

Grub feeds on the growing tip, tender stem, leaf petiole, spikes and berry.
Tunneling of tender stem causes drying up of the shoot.
The portions of the spikes tunneled by grubs turn black and cause dropping of spikes due to the subsequent rotting.
Grubs bore into the berries and feed on entire internal contents.
Exit holes could be seen on dry berries.
As a result of grub boring, the berries dry up and turn dark in colour.
They are hollow and crumble when pressed.
Such hollow berries are called ‘Pollu’ berries.
The adult beetles feed on all stages of the leaves.
Most preferred one is tender leaves.
Due to feeding irregular holes are seen.
On mature leaves, the beetle scrapes the green matter leaving the layer of upper epidermis.

Identification of pest

Female beetle scoops out shallow holes on growing bud, leaf, petiole, terminal buds, spikes and tender berries and lay eggs singly.

Freshly laid eggs are yellow and turn brownish yellow.

Grubs: Pale yellowish in colour.

Pupa: Pupation takes place in the soil in an earthen cell

Adult: Beetle is oblong with shiny black elytra and enlarged hind femur

Management

Regulation of shade in the plantation reduces the population of the pest in the field.
Tilling the soil at the base of the vines at regular intervals
Spraying quinalphos (0.05% each) during June/July and September/October or quinalphos (0.05% each) during July and Neemgold (0.6%) (neem-based insecticide) during August, September.
The undersides of leaves (where adults are generally seen) and spikes are to be sprayed thoroughly

Top shoot borer

Symptoms of damage

Larvae bore into tender terminal shoots and feed on internal tissues resulting in blackening and decaying of affected shoots.
The pest infestation is higher during July to October when numerous succulent shoots are available in the vines

Identification of pest

Larva: The full grown caterpillar is greyish green in colour.

Pupa: Pupation takes place inside the shoots within the tunnel.

It is a small moth.

Forewing: The basal half of is black and distal half is red.

Hind wings: Greyish in colour

Management

Spray quinalphos (0.05% each) on tender terminal shoots; repeat spraying at monthly intervals (during July - October) to protect emerging new shoots.

Marginal gall thrips

Symptoms of damage

Downward and inward curling of leaves resulted in the formation of marginal leaf galls.
Later the infested leaves become crinkled and malformed
In severe cases of attack, the whole plant may become stunted, affecting adversely the formation of spikes.

Identification of pest

Eggs: Laid within the marginal galls on the leaf surface singly.

Nymphs: White and sluggish.

Adult: Black thrips.

Management

Spray dimethoate (0.05%) during emergence of new flushes in young vines in the field and cuttings in the nursery.

Pepper mussel scale

Symptoms of damage

Infects the plant by sucking the leaf tip, leaf and stem of the suckers
infected parts become yellowish and later dry up

Identification of pest

Lepidosaphes piperis : small, stunted with boat shaped appearance

Espidiotus testructar: very small insect with yellowish in colur

Management

Remove and destroy the infected plant parts
Spray Dimethoate 0.1 % followed by one more spray on 21st day of first spray

White tailed mealy bug

Symptoms of damage

Mealy bug found in cluster on the terminal shoots, leaves, berries and suck the sap
Yellowing, withering and drying of plants or shedding of berries.

Identification of pest

Female is apterous with long prominent waxy filaments at the posterior end

Body covered with waxy powder.

Management

Removal of heavily infested plant parts and the destruction will minimize the inoculam.
Spray dimethoate 2 ml/lit.