ARMY WORMS
A full grown caterpillar is dull green in colour with four longitudinal stripes and an orange or brown head . Caterpillars feed on the leaves and in severe infestation entire seed beds and fields are destroyed and the fields appears as if it has been grazed by animals /cattles. The larvae feed voraciously in the night and hide in the soil during the day time.
Management
- Regular survey of crop at and before maturity. Keep the field under water through proper water management.
- Place straw beds in the fields at several locations. Collect /destroy hiding caterpillars.
- Spray the Bunds with pesticides to prevent migration of pest from one plot to another