Maize (Zea mays)

Ear Head Caterpillar (Helicoverpa zea)

Symptoms

  • Larvae feeds on grains & silk
  • Feacal pellets visible within ear heads
  • Damage to leaves,tassel and leaf whorls

Management

  • Set up light traps.
  • Install sex pheromone traps (@ 12 traps per hectare).
  • Apply NPV twice at 10-day intervals (dose: 1.5 × 10¹² POB) mixed with:
    • Crude sugar – 2.5 kg
    • Cotton seed kernel powder – 250 g
    • Apply the mixture on earheads to reduce larval population effectively.
  • Apply the mixture on earheads to reduce larval population effectively.