Insect Pest of Cotton

Name Whitefly
Bemisia tabaci
ETL 3-5 nymph or adults per leaf
Damage 1. Upward curling of leaves.
2. Stunted plant growth.
3. Leaves and lint contamination with honey dew and sooty mould, transmission
of leaf curl virus disease.
Control 1. Conduct pest scouting twice a week.
2. Control whitefly without delay when population reaches ETL i.e. nymphs or adults or
both 3-5 per leaf.
3. Eradicate weeds which act as alternate host plants.
4. If population reaches ETL, control whitefly with rotational application of following
pesticides
 imidacloprid 20SL, 250 ml
 diafenthiuron 500SC, 250ml
 buprofezin 25WP, 600gm
 acetamiprid 20SL, 125 ml/gm
 pyriproxyfen 10.8SC, 500ml
 spirotetramate 240SC, 125ml

Name Thrips
Thrips tabaci
ETL 8-10 adults or nymphs per leaf
Damage 1. Leaves of seedlings become wrinkled and distorted with white shiny patches.
2. Older crop presents rusty appearance from a distance.
Control 1 Conduct pest scouting twice a week.
2 Avoid intercropping of cotton crop with vegetables.
3 Eradicate weeds.
4 Apply recommended insecticides if the pest reaches ETL.
 imidacloprid 25SP, 250gm
 dimethoate 40EC, 400ml
 acephate 75SP, 250-375gm
 spinosad 480SC, 40ml
 chlorfenapyr 360SC,100ml

Name Jassid
Amrasca devastans
ETL 1 adult or nymph per leaf
Damage Infested leaves curl downwards, turn yellowish, then to brownish before drying and
shedding, “hopper burn” stunts young plants.
Control 1 Eradicate weeds.
2 Conduct Pest Scouting twice a week.
3 Use Chrysoperla carnea Cards @ 80-90 cards per acre having 20-25 eggs on each
card which are available at AARI Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Okara and Vehari. (Repeat this
process after every two weeks).
 4 Apply one of the following pesticides immediately if the pest reaches ETL i.e. 1.0
adult or nymph per leaf.
 imidacloprid 25WP, 250gm
 dimethoate40EC, 400ml
 acephate75SP, 250-375gm
 thiamethoxam25WG, 24gm
 niten pyram 10SL, 200-250ml
 dinotefuran Oshin 20SG, 100 gm

Name Mealy bug

Phenacoccus solenopsis
ETL The sucking of cell sap by the mealybug turning plant leaves yellow and becoming
crinkled or malformed, which leads to stunted plant growth, leaves and fruit-drop, and
potential death of the plant.
Damage On appearance
Control 1. Conduct Pest Scouting twice a week.
2. Eradicate weeds from the field and water courses etc. especially Itsit and Hazaar
Dani.
3. To avoid its shifting from one place to another, keep the horticultural nurseries free
from its infestation. Spray such infested nurseries before shifting the plants.
4. Uproot the infested plants and gently keep in plastic bags and burry it in the soil
outside the field.
5. Avoid water stress to the plants.
6. Avoid repeated visits of workers from infested fields to healthy fields.
7. In case of severe infestation, treat the plants with one of the following insecticides in
120 litre of water and repeat the spray after 4 days
8. Use solid cone nozzle for spray application.
dimethoate 40% + Diver (Mineral oil) 97% , 200 ml + 1000ml
carbosulfan 20EC , 500ml
carbaryl 85SP , 500 ml
methidathion 40 EC, 400 ml
methomyl 42SP, 300 g
profenofos + Lambda 61.5 EC , 500 ml

Name Dusky Cotton Bug

Oxycarenus hyalipennis
ETL 10 per leaf/bud
Damage 1. Seeds oil content is reduced.
2. Germination percentage reduced.
3. All stages characterized by a powerful smell.
4. Discolour the lint if crushed.
Control 1 Eradicate weeds.
2 Conduct Pest Scouting twice a week.
3 Remove alternate host plants
4 Apply recommended insecticides immediately if the pest reaches ETL.
 fepronyl fipryte, 400ml
 triazophos 40EC, 1000ml
 lambda Cyhalothrin 2.5EC, 330ml
  bifenthrin 10EC, 300ml

Name Armyworm
Spodoptera litura
ETL On appearance
Damage Young larvae in groups skeletinise leaves and older larvae voraciously defoliate leaves .
Control 1. Eradicate weeds especially Itsit which is a preferred host of armyworm.
2. Avoid sowing of Jantar near cotton fields.
3. Pest scouting twice a week.
4. Hand picking and destruction of egg masses at initial stage as initially its attack starts
in patches and is clearly visible.
5. For chemical control use one of the following Insecticides in 80 liters of water
lufenuron 5EC, 100-200ml
emamectinBenzoate 1.9EC, 250ml
tebufenazide 20WP, 350gm
flubendamide 480SC, 25—50ml
methoxyfenozide 240SC, 200ml
chlorantraniliprole 20 SC, 50ml
spintoram 120 Sc, 100ml

Name Spotted Bollworm

Earias vittella
Earias insulana
ETL 3 Larvae/ 25 plants
Damage  Top bore in main shoot.
 Dried and withered away shoot.
 Feeding holes in flower buds and bolls.
Control Pest scouting twice a week.
Use of pheromone traps for monitoring and control.
spinosad 240SC, 40ml
spinetoram 120SC,40ml
cypermethrin 10EC, 300-325ml
deltamethrin 2.5EC, 333-365ml
beta-Cyfluthrin 25EC, 250-275ml
cyhalothrin 2.5EC, 333-370ml
fenvalerate 20 EC, 400-450ml
alpha cypermethrin 5EC, 440-490ml

Name Pink Bollworm

Pectinophora gossypiella
ETL 5 Larvae /100 bolls
Damage Larvae for Rosetted flowers and larvae inside developing bolls.
Control Pest scouting twice a week.
Use of pheromone traps for monitoring and control.
spinosad 240 SC, 50ml
spinetoram 120SC,100ml
spinetoram 250WG, 40gm
 gamma Cyhalothrin, 100ml
triazophos 40 EC, 1000ml
bifenthrin 10 EC, 275ml
cypermethrin 10EC, 333 /365ml
deltamethrin 2.5EC, 300ml
tralomethrin, 80ml
fenvalerate 20EC, 250 /265ml

Name American Bollworm

Helicoverpa armigera
ETL 5 brown eggs or 3 small larvae or both 5 per 25 plants on non Bt varieties. 2 larvae of
2nd instar per 25 plants on Bt varieties.
Damage Square and bolls show regular, circular bigger bore holes. Larva seen feeding on
the boll by thrusting its head inside. Presence of fecal pellets outside the bore
hole. Excessive leaf damage during outbreaks.
Control Pest scouting twice a week.
Use of pheromone traps for monitoring and control.
Deep ploughing of soil to expose the pupa to natural enemies and sun light.
spinosad 240SC, 100ml
spinetoram 250WG, 60gm
chlorfenapyr 360SC, 333ml
emamectin Benzoate 1.9EC, 200ml
chlorpyrifos 40 EC, 1000ml
profenofos 500EC, 1000ml
indoxacarb 150SC, 175 ml
thiodicarb 80DF, 480gm