Insect Pests Management:
Stem fly, leaf miner, thrips and red spider mites attacking this crop.
Monitor the plants for stem fly adult activities, puncture marks and petiole mining soon after germination As soon as a few adults of stem fly(small housefly like insects) are noticed hovering over the crop, spray endosulfan 35 EC @ 2ml/l or acephate 75 WP @ 0.75 g/l or Neem seed powder extract (4% ) or neem soap (1%) or neem formulation with 10000 ppm azadirachtin (2 ml/l). However, please note that the botanicals get washed away by rain and they will be ineffective if it rains within 1-2 days of spray.
Second spraying is given when on an average 5 leaves/10 leaves have petiole mining symptoms or at 15 days after sowing. This will also take care of leaf miner. For leaf miner, donot repeat sprays again and again, as it will increase pest population.
For thrips spray dimethoate ( 2ml/l) or lamda cyhalothrin (1 ml/l)
For mites spray acaricide like dicofol (1.5 ml/l) or wetable sulphur (2.5 gm/l) mixed with neem soap (0.75%) or pongamia soap (0.75%). Spray underside of the leaves thoroughly.
During September- October months after the onset of North East monsoon hoppers become very serious causing withering of the foliage and plants. The pest can easily be controlled by spraying any systemic insecticide or neem soap sprays as given under okra and brinjal
Destroy cotyledon leaves infected with leaf miners after germination as the primary infestation occurs on cotyledon leaves.
Clip leaves infested by miner at weekly intervals upto 20 DAS. If the incidence is high remove all severely infested leaves and destroy.
Mechanically collect and destroy pumpkin beetles if the pest incidence is low. Spray carbaryl 50 WP 4g/L or DDVP 76 EC 1 ml/L .
Spray (only if unavoidable) neem formulations with azadirachtin > 10000 ppm (2 ml/L) or NSPE (Neem Seed Powder Extract) 4%, once in 10 days.
Spray Neem soap 5 g + Triazophos 40 EC 1 ml/L.
For fruit fly control, crush pumpkin 1 Kg and add 100g Jaggery and 10 ml malathion and keep in the plot (4-6 places /acre). Adults of fruit fly get attracted to the fermenting pumpkin and lay eggs and get killed. Repeat 2-3 times in cropping season. Alternately, erect cuelure traps at 10 traps/acre to annihilate male flies or spray deltamethrin 1 ml/L+ 1 % Jaggery or Carbaryl 50 WP at 3g/L + 1 % Jaggery at fruit formation/ ripening stage.
Collect and destroy all infested fruits by burning or burying deep in the soil.
Apply or Imidacloprid 17.8 SL 0. 4 ml/L or Fipronil 50 SC at 1.5 ml/L.
For mite control mix Neem soap or Pongamia soap at 10g/ L with Ethion 50 EC at 1ml/L
For thrips control Spray Acephate 75 WP 0.75 g/L + Pongamia oil (2 ml/L)+ sticker 1ml/L (for emulsification)
For leaf eating caterpillar control, spray Bt at 1 ml/L when oviposition is noticed on the leaves. Spray contact insecticide carbaryl 50 WP at 3 g/L or Indoxacarb 14.5 SC at 0.5 ml/L. Alternatively spray Neem or Pongamia soap at 7.5 g/L