Non insect pests

A detailed explanation about several non insect pests of agricultural importance.

1. ACHARYA N.G RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY Agricultural college, Bapatla Course No : ENT 511 Course Title : Pests of field crops Topic : NON-INSECT PESTS Submitted to, Dr. Ch. Sandhya rani Professor Department of entomology Agricultural college Bapatla. Submitted by, P. Vijay babu BAM 18- 41.

2. CONTENTS:- Introduction Crab Snails and slugs Rodents Nematodes Mites Birds References

3. 1. INTRODUCTION Mollusca is the second most diverse animal phylum in terms of number of described species. [80,000 sps] They are important pollution indicators as their faecal pellets contain high concentration of heavy metals (Godan 1983). Slugs and snails are shown to be capable of spreading tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) (Norris et al 2003). It is estimated that losses caused by non-insect pest is utmost 510 crores worldwide, of which 369 crores rupees loss is caused by rodents alone!!! [www.indiaagristat.com]

4. 2.CRAB

5. Taxonomic position:- Kingdom : ‎ Animalia Phylum : Arthropoda Class : Crustacea Subclass : Malacostraca Order : Decapoda Family : Cancridae Genus : Paratelphusa Species : hydrodromous

6. SYMPTOMS :- They cut the young paddy plants near the ground level. They are active during night; as they are nocturnal. Besides their crop damaging activity, they prepare a series of burrows in the paddy Due to which water is not retained in the field. Thus, crab is major crustacean pest of paddy crop, it requires intensive control .

7. Crabs infesting the rice crop

8. Damage done by crabs to the paddy field

9. Identification of pest :- Eggs :  The eggs are bright orange when first deposited, but become yellow, brown, and then dark  brown before hatching . Larvae :  First stage larvae, called zoeae, development to this stage requires 31-49 days. 

10. Juveniles :   The juvenile "first crab" is typically 2.5 mm wide. Juveniles gradual1y migrate in to shallower, less-saline waters in upper estuaries and rivers, where they grow and mature Adult :   Sexual maturity is reached after 18-20 post larval moults, at the age of 1-1.5 years. Males continue to moult and grow after they reach sexual maturity But females cease to moult and grow when they mature and mate.

11. Management strategies :- Application of FYM at the time of puddling reduces crab damage. Crab burrows fumigated with the cyanogas dust.

12. Poison baiting of 0.5% parathion with rice syrup at the rate of 80-100 ml per burrow is quite effective is controlling the crabs. Poison bait with insecticide

13. Manual collection of crabs from rice fields

14. 3. SNAILS AND SLUGS

15. Taxonomic position:- Kingdom : ‎ Animalia Phylum : Mollusca Class : Gastropoda Order : Sacoglossa Family : Elysiidae Genus : Pomacea Species : canaliculata

16. SYMPTOMS :- Missing seedlings Floating of cut leaves. Cut stems Decreased plant stand Sparse or uneven stand Missing seedlings in paddy

17. Nature of damage :- Snails rasp plant tissue and cut of stems with their file-like radula or horny tongue. The golden apple snail is considered a major problem in direct-seeded rice . During dry periods or drought, the golden apple snails remain inactive in rice fields.

18. Identification of pest :- The golden apple snail has a muddy brown shell. Its succulent flesh is creamy white to golden pinkish or orange-yellow.

19. Slimy layers formed in their pathways

20. Neonates or the newly hatched snails have soft shell. The juveniles or young snails are <1.5 to 1.6 cm. The eggs are bright pink or strawberry pink.

21. Factors favouring pest development :- wetland and dry land habitats irrigation canals and rivers presence of young seedlings   continuous flooding of the rice fields

22. Management Strategies :- 1. Mechanical Control :- Increase mortality by mechanical action. Use of a hand-operated device to smash egg clusters.

23. 2 . Cultural methods :- An off-season tillage to crush snails can also be employed. Snails can also be exposed to sun. Draining the field is also advised. Crop rotation with a dry land crop and fallow periods is also recommended as control. Off season tillage of field

24. 3. Chemical methods :- Molluscicides such as metaldehyde is recommended.

25. 4. Biological methods :- The use of common carp, Japanese crucian, heron, and weasels as biological control agents against the golden apple snail. A firefly nymph is also an effective natural enemy of the snail. Birds prey on both eggs and neonates. Rats and snakes also feed on them. Snake eating snail

26. Firefly nymph [Lampyridae ] Firefly nymph feeding on snails

27. Rice-fish integration for golden apple snail control Cyprinus carpio “Global advances in ecology and Management of Golden apple snail.”

28. Crocodiles also can actively feeds on snails

29. 4. Rodents squirrels Rats

30. Taxonomic position:- Kingdom : ‎ Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Rodentia Family : Muridae

31. Symptoms :- Chopped young seedlings Irregular cuttings of stem Patches of depressions seen in the field at early stage Chewed developing buds or ripening grains Tillers cut near base at 45° angle .  Cut tillers may be seen in patches.

32. Nature of damage:- The rats enter the nurseries and nibble the seeds After transplantation, the seedlings are cut. At the shoot blade stage, the culm is cut and At ripening stage, the ear heads are cut and stored in the burrows.

33. Identification of pest :- Lesser bandicoot / mole rat / field rat,  Bandicota bengalensis Grass rat ,  Millardia meltada Gerbil rat ,  Tatera cuvieri , T. Indica Indian field mouse ,  Mus booduga Rat , Rattus rattus rufuscens , Rattus meltada

34. Gerbil rat

35. Grass rat

36. Lesser bandicoot

37. Indian field mouse

38. Rattus rattus , Rattus meltada

39. Rice field rats are black to brown in colour. They have scaly, thinly furred tails and distinctive chisel-like incisors. They  can grow  up to 12.5 cm/year, too  long !

40. The rice field rat,  Rattus argentiventer , is the major rodent pest. It is distinguished by a tuft of red hair at the base of its ears.

41. Factors favouring pest development:- lowland irrigated rice crops both the wet and dry seasons Availability of food, water, and shelter presence of breeding sites presence of major channels and village gardens

42. Management Strategies :- Physical control includes hunting, rat drives, digging, and exclusion. Narrow bund maintenance (45 × 30 cm). Warfarin 0.5% 1 part with 19 parts of popped corn/rice/dry fish and keep in field. Setting up of owl perches at 40 -50/ha.

43. Farmers using BOW TRAP for controlling rats in Tamil nadu

44. Wired mesh rat trap

45. Wildcats, snakes, and birds are predators of rice field rats. Locate the burrows opened by the rats and insert two pellets each of 0.5 or 0.6g of aluminium phosphide per burrow as deep into the burrow as possible and plug the entrance with a mud ball.

46. Burrow fumigation

47. Rat killed due to the effect of rodenticide

48. Squirrels damaging on Coconut

49. 5. NEMATODES

50. There are several kinds of plant parasitic nematodes. White tip nematode of rice Root knot nematode Wheat seed gall nematode Banana burrowing nematode Citrus nematode Sheath nematode Pin nematode Stubby root nematodes But the three important nematodes that causing devastating losses are, Considerable losses

51. Rice white tip nematode :- Aphelenchoides besseyi Female with single ovary out stretched. Vulva posterior. The nematode is carried beneath the hull of the rice kernel in quiescent, immature, usually preadult stage. Infective stage is – Juvenile stage 2 (J2).

52. Nature of damage :- White tip of seedlings. The emerged panicles are generally short and flower becomes sterile. Glumes of affected spikelet are white and do not change in shape and size.

53. Seed gall nematode :- Anguina tritici First plant parasitic nematode identified. Females are spiral in form and immobile. Males usually shorter than females. Infective stage is – Juvenile stage 2 (J2).

54. Nature of damage :- Infested plants generally show profuse tilllering. Glumes may be loosely arranged and galls replace the seeds. Conversion of all or few grains the the ear into cockles.

55. Normal seeds Vs damaged seeds

56. Root knot nematode :- Polyphagous Host range : Tomato, brinjal, bhendi, chilli, cowpea, green gram and tobacco.

57. Nature of damage :- Yellowing of foliage poor emergence and death of young seedlings. Early poor fruiting for a relatively shorter period. Wilting and drying of crop in the field in patches. Presence of galls or knots on roots is the important diagnostic symptom.

58. MANAGEMENT :- Cultural practices :- Cereals followed by vegetables and vice versa reduces Heterodera avenae and Meloidogyne incognita (crop rotation). crop root destruction Flooding and fallowing Solarisation of soil Growing antagonistic crops like marigold and Panola grass . Soil solarisation

59. Mechanical methods :- Floatation in plain water or brine avoid nematodes in wheat seed with Anguina tritici . Sieving and winnowing method.

60. Winnowing method Brine floatation of wheat seeds

61. Physical methods :- Hot water treatment :- Dipping of seeds, tubers, bulbs, suckers in hot water at 50˚c will help in reducing the nematodes. Use of nematode free stock :- used for seed gall nematode, leaf nematode, stem nematode. Irradiation : - Expose potato infected with Globodera to 20,000 gamma rays affect the eggs.

62. Biological control :- Nematophagous fungi :- Nematophthora sp. Predaceous fungi :- Arthrobotrys spp , Oligospora spp , Dactylaria doedycoides . Mycorrhiza :- Glorris fasiciculatum Bacteria :- Pastueria penetrans by Pseudomonas flourescens Oppurtunistic fungi :- which colonize nematodes Pacilomyces lilacinus Hirsutella thompsoni

63. Chemical methods :- Nematicides are of 2 types, Fumigants – DD mixture, chloropicirin , Methyl bromide. Non fumigants – Parathion, carbofuran and methomyl .

64. 6. MITES

65. Importance of mites :- Tiny creatures causing severe losses to a variety of agricultural and horticultural crops particularly under dry conditions. Even acting as stored grain pests  ('straw-itch mite‘). Also harmful to beneficial insects like honey bees. But predatory mites are very useful in biological control.

66. Phytophagous mites :- Eriophyidae (gall or itch or rust mites) Tenuipalpidae (false spider mites) Tarsonomidae (broad mites) 1 2 3

67. Nature and symptoms of damage :- Nymphs and adults are infective stages which suck sap from plant parts like leaves, shoots, fruits etc. Formation of white blotches on leaves in vegetables. Characteristic red spots that enlarge and coalesce making whole leaf reddish.

68. Production of felt like growth on leaves in jasmine. Curling of leaves downwards in chillies . Formation of warts and longitudinal tissues in nuts of coconut.

69. Mites of agricultural importance:- Jowar mite - Oligonychus indicus Red spider mite - Tetranychus telarius Citrus rust mite - Phyllocoptruta oleivora Coconut mite - Aceria guerreronis Jasmine mite - Aceria jasmini Chilli mite - Polyphagotarsonemus latus Coffee mite - Oligonychus coffeae

70. Reddening of leaves in jowar Citrus rust mite [MANGU] Coconut eryophid mite damage

71. Management of mites :- Removal of alternate hosts in the field. Spraying of sulphur @ 3g/L , Dimethoate 30EC @ 2mL/L, Dicofol ( kelthane ) @ 5mL/L. Fungal pathogen, Hirsutella thompsoni reported to be effective against coconut eriophid mite . Predacious insects on mites. Eg :- Scolothrips indicus Scymnus gradis .

72. 7. BIRDS

73. Nature of damage :- A number of birds feed upon grains from ear heads of field crops; fruits and vegetables. They actually consume very little quantity but often cause more damage than what they actually eat.

74. Crow ( Corvus Splendens Vieillot ) :- Distribution : Throughout India found up to about 1200m height

75. Life cycle Eggs: These eggs light blue to greenish with dark spot. • Adults ;greyish black in colour. • These birds don’t breed in their first year. • Nest are usually situated on trees, telephones poles etc. and made by shrubs and trees branches. These are bold bird with no fear of human .

76. Eggs of Corvus sp .

77. Crows cause considerable damage to ripe fruits in orchards and also ripening grains of maize and fruits. • The crows are particularly attracted to the grains when they are exposed on a cob. • They may prove a menace to the successful growth of field crops as well as harvest of fruits. They are often seen in flocks in maize and other fields. Damage

78. Management Acetylene exploders have been reported effective against them in orchards. • Thallium sulphate baits are used for there slow action may gives better kills. • They can be trapped in large V-shaped traps.

79. Large V- shaped trap for bird management

80. Parrot ( Psittacula spp.) Distribution : common throughout India found at height below 1200 m.

81. Eggs: lays 3 to 6 white ,oval eggs. • Breeding season : from Feb-May. • They use debris for nesting in holes in walls and trees without building a real nest structure. Life cycle

82. Female Vs Male

83. Acetylene exploders are reported to be effectives repellents. • They can be caught with net-traps and sticky substance ( lassa ). Management

84. Metallic ribbons

85. Damage • Do some damage to ripe tomatoes and figs in garden. Management • Nothing reported, but they can be probably controlled with strychnine-poisoned baits or net-traps.

86. Easily trapped with box traps or automatics elevator types.

87. References:- Elements of economic entomology by T. Vasantharaj and David 5 th , edition. Wikipedia - the encyclopedia. Applied entomology by T. Kumaraswamy and Raghumoorthy 14 th edition. P De Bach - Biological control of insect pests and weeds ., 1964 - cabdirect.org Insects and mites of crops in India by MRGK Nair [1975] Rats, mice and people: rodent biology and management Singleton, Grant R.; Hinds, Lyn A.; Krebs, Charles spat. www.indiaagristat.com

88. Submitted by, P. Vijay babu, BAM 18-41, Msc (Ag), 1 st year, Department of entomology, ANGRAU, Agricultural college, Bapatla. Submitted to, Dr. Ch. Sandya rani, Professor, Department of entomology, ANGRAU, Agricultural college, Bapatla.