Introduction
•Distribution and status: Distributed worldwide and is a serious pest
•Host range: Cruciferous oilseeds like toria, sarson, raya, taramira and Brassica vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, knol-khol.
•Damage by : nymphs & adult
Identification of the pest
•Aphids: are small, soft-bodied, pearl-shaped insects that have a pair of cornicles (wax-secreting tubes) projecting out from the fifth or sixth abdominal segment. •
Life cycle
•Most abundant from Dec-March.
•During summer migrate to the hills
•Survive on abandoned stray plant of cabbage and on cruciferous weeds in the plain.
•Pest breeds pathenogenetically & females give birth to 26-133 nymphs. •45 generation in a year.
•Cloudy & cold weather (20°C or below) favourable
Damage
•Both nymphs and adults suck the sap from leaves, buds and pods
•Curling may occur in infested leaves and at advanced stage plants may wither and die
•Plants remain stunted and sooty molds grow on the honey dew excreted by the insects
•The infected filed looks sickly and blighted in appearance
Management
•Use tolerant varieties like JM-1 and RK-9501
•Destroy the affected parts along with aphid population in the initial stage •The crop sown before 20th October escapes the damage
•Set up yellow stick trap to monitor aphid population
•Spray the crop with one of the following in the flowering stage: oxydemeton methyl, dimethoate @625-1000 ml per ha
Biological Management
•Conserve the following natural enemies: Ladybird beetles viz., Coccinellaseptempunctata, Menochilussexmaculata, Hippodamiavariegata and Cheilomonesvicinathatare most efficient predators of the mustard aphid. Adult beetles may feed on an average of 10-15 adults/day
