Symptoms

• Larvae mine the midrib and enter the stem and feed on the internal tissues,their result in withering of central shoot called “dead heart”.
• Bore holes visible on stem near the nodes
• Affected parts of stem may show internal tunneling.

Management

• The stubbles should be ploughed up during winter and burnt to destroy the hibernating larvae.
• Grow resistant cultivars like E 302, E 303, IS 2205, ICSV 700.
• Dead hearts should be pulled out and used as fodder or buried in manure pits.
• Sow lab lab or Dolichos as an intercrop in the ratio of 4:1 to minimize the stem borer damage.