Pre-monsoon deep ploughing (two/three times) will expose the hibernating pupae to sunlight and predatory birds. Removal and destruction of alternate wild hosts which harbour the hairy caterpillars. Use trap crops around main crop E.g.: Cowpea. Monitor the emergence of adult moths through light trap. Organize bonfires on community basis from 7.30 PM to 11.0 PM to attract the newly emerging moths for 3 or 4 succeeding days when good showers are received. Collect and destroy egg masses and early instars larvae. Dust Quinalphos or Carbaryl @ 25 kg /ha to control early instars of the caterpillar. To control grown up larvae, spray Dimethoate @ 2.0 ml or Monocrotophos1.6 ml/l of water. Trap and kill the migrating larvae in deep cut straight trenches by dusting Methyl parathion 2% in the trench around the field.
How red hairy caterpillar is managed in Groundnut?
