| Sign of Attack/ Symptom |
Control |
| Aphids : Plant lice become innumerable and cover growing shoots, inflorescence and pods from mid February till harvest. They suck sap as a result of it the plants remain stunted, flowers dry up and seeds do not develop. |
Spray 750 ml Cypermethrin 10 EC (ripcord) or 750ml Methyl demeton 25 EC (metasystox ) or 750 ml Dimethoate 30 EC (Rogor) or 1.5 L Formothion 25 EC (athio) or 200-250 ml Phosphamidon(100 dimecron) in 750 L water/ha and when, on an average, 50 aphids or 4 mm aphid infestation level per central shoot is noticed.
Caution :
- Do not use treated leaves/shoots for saag.
- Use only 1.250 L Malathion 50 EC (malathion/cythion) in 1250 L water on crop meant for saag but do not pluck leaves for 7 days after spraying.
- When the crop is blooming & spraying is essential, spray the insecticide in the evening to avoid mortality of pollinators and advise local bee-keepers to close down bee-hives for the following day.
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| Leaf miner : The maggots feed by making silvery white mines in leaves. The damage is mainly done during February March. |
Spray the seed crop with 750 ml cypermethrin 10 EC (ripcord) or 750 ml methyl demeton 25 EC (metasystox) or 750 ml diamethoate 30 EC Rogor or 200-250 ml phosphamidon 100 dimecron in 750 L water /ha. |
| Painted bug : Nymphs and adults suck sap from the foliage and pods resulting in poor yield. |
Spray cropwith750mlMonocrotophos36SL (nuvacon/monocil) or 750 ml Methyl demeton 25 EC (metasystox) in 750 water/ha. |
| Mustard sawfly : young crop by biting holes into leaves and may eat the entire foliage in case of heavy attack. |
Spray the young crop with 500 ml Malathion/Cythion 50 EC in 500 L water/ha. |
| Cabbage caterpillar : Some-times becomes serious pest. The caterpillars feed on the foliage and developing pods. Young caterpillars feed gregariously while the advanced instars of larvae become solitary. |
Spray crop with 1.125 L Endosulfan 35 EC (Thiodan/ Endocel/ Hildan) or 1.5 L Quinalphos 25 EC (Ekalux) or 1.250 L Fenitrothion 50 EC (Accothion/ Sumithion) in 750 L water /ha.
Caution : Regular watch is necessary to pick up infested leaves as soon as noticed on foliage and destroy them. |
(ii) Diseases:
Blight : Round, dark brown spots appear on leaves and pods. The plants become weak and give low yield. |
1. Treat seed with Indofil M-45 or Captan @ 3 g/ kg seed..
2. Spray the crop twice with Indofil M-45/ Dithane M-45 (0.2%) at fortnightly intervals. |
| White rust : Scattered white pustules of different sizes appear on leaves and stems which coalesce to from bigger patches. Later, these burst exposing the white mass of spores. Stems and floral parts get hypertrophied. |
1. Spray with copper oxychloride/Blitox (0.25%) at 10-15 day interval. Two sprays are sufficient.
2. Healthy and disease free seed should be sown. |
Downy mildew : Purplishbrown spots are produced on the underside of the leaves. These may remain small or enlarge considerably on the upper side, the lesions appear tan to yellow. Later a typical mildewed appearance becomes manifest usually on the lower side of the leaf. |
Sanitation and crop rotation help in reducing primary infection. |