Maize Insect Pest & Their Management

Maize Insect Pest

PEST OF MAIZE

Scientific name	Family	Order
Major pests
Maize shootfly
Atherigona orientalis	Muscidae	Diptera
Stem borer
Chilo partellus	Crambidae	Lepidoptera
Pink stem borer
Sesamia inferens	Noctuidae	Lepidoptera
Cornworm/ Earworm
Helicoverpa armigera	Noctuidae	Lepidoptera
Web worm
Cryptoblabes gnidiella	Pyraustidae	Lepidoptera
Aphid
Rhopalosiphum maidis	Aphididae	Hemiptera
Shoot bug
Peregrinus maidis	Delphacidae	Hemiptera
Minor Pests
Climbing cut worm
Mythimna separata	Noctuidae	Lepidoptera
Ash weevil
Myllocerus sp.,	Curculionidae	Coleoptera
Phadka grasshopper
Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus	Acrididae	Orthoptera
Leafhopper
Pyrilla perpusilla	Lophopidae	Hemiptera

Maize Insect Pest

1.Maize shootfly

Scientific name: Atherigona orientalis

Host range– Maize, sorghum, ragi and bajra

Damage symptoms

• The maggot feeds on the young growing shoots resulting in “dead hearts”.

Management

• Grow resistant cultivars like DMR 5, NCD, VC 80
•  Furrow application of phorate granules 10 G 10 kg/ha (or) lindane 6 G 25 kg per ha.

2.Stem borer

Scientific name: Chilo partellus

Host range– Jowar, Bajra, Sugarcane and Rice

Damage symptoms

• It infests the crop a month after sowing and upto emergence of cobs.
• Central shoot withering leading to “dead heart” is the typical damage symptom.
• Bore holes are visible on the stem near the nodes.
• Young larva crawls and feeds on tender folded leaves causing typical “shot hole” symptom.

Management

• Grow resistant cultivars like Him 129, Ganga- 4,5,7, Ganga safed 2, Deccan 101, 103, Him-123, Ageti, Kanchan, Kundan
• Sow lab lab or cowpea as an intercrop to minimise the stem borer damage
• Set up light trap till midnight to attract and kill the stem borer moths.
• Mix any one of the following insecticides with sand to make up the total quantity of 50 kg and apply in the leaf whorls – phorate 10 G 8 kg, carbofuran 3 G 17 kg, carbaryl + lindane 4G 20 kg, endosulfan 4 D 10 kg (or) spray endosulfan 35 EC 750 ml (or) carbaryl 50 WP 1 kg (500 L. spray fluid/ha).
• Collect the stubbles after harvest and burn to destroy diapausing borers.

3. Pink stem borer

Scientific name: Sesamia inferens

Host range–  Sorghum, maize, Rice, Wheat, Sugarcane, Bajra, Ragi 

Damage symptoms

• Pink larva enters into the stem causing dead heart symptom similar to that of stem borer.

Management

• Grow resistant cultivars like Deccan 101 and 103
• Spray endosulfan 35 EC 1.0 L/ha. at every 20 days interval after germination of the crop.

4. Corn worm/Earworm

Scientific name: Helicoverpa armigera,

Damage symptoms

• Larva feeds on silk and developing grains.

Management

Apply at silk drying stage either carbaryl 10 D 25 kg/ha or spray carbaryl 50% WP 1.0 kg./ha in 500-600 L of water per ha.

 5. Web worm

Scientific name: Cryptoblabes gnidiella

Damage symptoms

• The larva first feeds on the lemma of the flowers scraping the chlorphyll and later on the milky grains.
• The caterpillar causes damage by constructing webs on maize cobs and feeding on the flowers and grains.

Management

•  Spray monocrotophos 36 SL (or) endosulfan 35 EC 1 l /ha.

6. Aphid

Scientific name: Rhopalosiphum maidis

Host range- Sorghum, Maize, Ragi

Damage symptoms

• Colonies of aphids are seen in central leaf whorl, stems, or in panicles.
• The young and adults suck the plant juice.
• This frequently causes yellowish mottling of the leaves and marginal leaf necrosis.
• The aphid produces an abundance of honeydew on which molds grow.

 Management

• Spray the base of attacked plants with a contact (or) systemic insecticide like dimethoate 30 EC or methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml in 500 L of water

7. Shoot bug

Scientific name: Peregrinus maidis

Host range–  Sorghum, Maize, Rice, Millets

Damage symptoms

• Injury to the plants is caused by the adults and nymphs which suck sap from them.
• The attacked plants become unhealthy, stunted and yellow.
• The leaves wither from top downwards.
• Panicle formation is inhibited and the plants die if attack is severe.

Management

Spray 500 ml dimethoate 30 EC or methyl demeton 25 EC in 500 L of water per ha.

8. Climbing cut worm

Scientific name: Mythimna separata

Damage symptoms

• Irregular feeding of leaves.

9. Ash weevil

Scientific name: Myllocerus sp.

Damage symptoms

• The larva feeds on the secondary roots and adults on leaves.

Management

•  Spray endosulfan 35 EC 0.07%.

10. Phadka grasshopper

Scientific name: Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus

Damage symptoms

•  Leaves defoliated from the margin.
• plants often rendered bare.

Management

• Dusting with lindane at 25 kg /ha gives effective control of the pest.

11. Stem fly

Scientific name: Atherigona orientalis

Symptoms of damage

• The maggot feeds on the young growing shoots results in “dead hearts”.
• Adult is Small grey coloured fly.

Management

• Seed treatment with imidacloprid 70 WS 10 g/kg of seeds.
• Plough soon after harvest.
• Remove and destroy the stubbles.
• Methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml/ha./ Dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml/ha

Maize Insect Pest