Directorate of Oilseeds Research

Integrated Pest Management in Castor
cultivation of the crop. The disease is restricted
to few states in India. It is serious in Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Epidemics of gray
rot occurred in Andhra Pradesh in kharif 1987.
The disease fa\(ored by heavy rains during
reproductive stage caused losses up to 100%
(DOR, 1988). Different pest species damage
different parts of castor plant. Soil insects, and
diseases and seedling pests damage roots and
emeroino
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seedlings as well as emerged and
growing seedlings. Defoliators, sucking pests,
leaf miners and foliar diseases cause loss in
food reserves. Inflorescence pests destroy floral
parts, developing ovaries, capsules, seeds and
cause direct damage to the crop. Some times
damage by insects predisposes plants to various
diseases through affected parts. Brief account
of major insect pests, diseases, nematodes and
weeds of castor and their management has been
discussed as follows.
3.2. Insect Pests of Castor
Several species of insects and mites
are known to attack castor at different
phenological stages of the crop. Insect pests
of castor can be grouped in to seedling pests,
soi l insects, sucking pests, leaf miners,
defoliators and inflorescence pests. Under
various major groups of insect pests,
information on eco biology and pest
management strategies developed have been
discussed.
3.2.1. Seedling pests
During seedling stage several pests
have been reported to attack and cause severe
damage to castor. Some time seedling pests
like cutworms (Agrotis spp.) and grasshoppers
(Chrotogonus trachypterus, B. and c.oxypterus
Blanchard) cause considerable damage to
seedlings but they are not regular pests. They
can be managed by proper field sanitation and
dusting of quinalphos (1.5%) or methyl
parathion (2%) dusts. At seedling stage red
hairy caterpillar will cause severe damage to
castor crop in the endemic areas.
Red hairy caterpillar: Red hairy caterpillar is
highly polyphagous and devastating pest in the
rainfed agro-ecosystem of Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and
Tamilnadu. At seedling stage it causes enormous
damage to most of the Kharif crops including
castor, groundnut, cereals, pulses etc. During
severe out break of the pest farmers will be
forced to go for resowing in large areas. It is
one of the endemic pests and the seasonal out
break dependents on climatic conditions and
agriculture practices. The activity of the pest
will begin with the emergence of moth after
early mansoon showers during June-July. Adult
moths of A. albistriga are medium sized with
white fore wings having brownish streak all
over and yellowish streak along the anterior
margin and yellow band on the head. Hind
winos are white with black marking. Where as
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in A. moorei the anterior marginal streak of fore
wings and the band on head are red in colour.
Female lays 600-1000 eggs in masses
on soi l surface, grasses and leaves. The larvae
hatch out from eggs and feed gregariously by
scraping the under surface of tender leaf of
castor and other weeds. Full grown larva is
having red head, body covered with long dense
reddish brown hair, interiorly and posteriorly
black bands enclose a reddish area in the middle.
The grown up larvae will feed voraciously on
leaves of castor seedlings leaving behind the
petiole and midribs of leaves and the main stem
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