Lecture 14: TRADITIONAL METHODS OF PEST CONTROL
CULTURAL CONTROL
Definition : Manipulation of cultural practices to the disadvantage of pests.
I. Farm level pratices
S.No. Cropping Techniques Pest Checked
1. Ploughing Red hairy caterpillar
2. Puddling Rice mealy bug
3. Trimming and plastering Rice grass hopper
4. Pest free seed material Potato tuber moth
5. High seed rate Sorghum shootfly
6. Rogue space planting Rice brown planthopper
7. Plant density Rice brown planthopper
8. Earthing up Sugarcane whitefly
9. Detrashing Sugarcane whitefly
10. Destruction of weed hosts Citrus fruit sucking moth
11. Destruction of alternate host Cotton whitefly
12. Flooding Rice armyworm
13. Trash mulching Sugarcane early shoot borer
14. Pruning / topping Rice stem borer
15. Intercropping Sorghum stem borer
16. Trap cropping Diamond back moth
17. Water management Brown planthopper
18. Judicious application of fertilizers Rice leaf folder
19. Timely harvesting Sweet potato weevil
II. Community level practices
1. Synchronized sowing : Dilution of pest infestation (eg) Rice, Cotton
2. Crop rotation : Breaks insect life cycle
3. Crop sanitation
a) Destruction of insect infested parts (eg.) Mealy bug in brinjal
b) Removal of fallen plant parts (eg.) Cotton squares
c) Crop residue destruction (eg.) Cotton stem weevil
, Advantages Disadvantages
1. No extra skill 1. No complete control
2. No costly inputs 2. Prophylactic nature
3. No special equipments 3. Timing decides success
4. Minimal cost
5. Good component in IPM
6. Ecologically sound
PHYSICAL CONTROL
Modification of physical factors in the environment to minimise (or) prevent
pest problems. Use of physical forces like temperature, moisture, etc. in managing the
insect pests.
A. Manipulation of temperature
1. Sun drying the seeds to kill the eggs of stored product pests.
2. Hot water treatment (50 - 55oC for 15 min) against rice white tip nematode.
3. Flame throwers against locusts.
4. Burning torch against hairy caterpillars.
5. Cold storage of fruits and vegetables to kill fruitflies (1 - 2oC for 12 - 20 days).
B. Manipulation of moisture
1. Alternate drying and wetting rice fields against BPH.
2. Drying seeds (below 10% moisture level) affects insect development.
3. Flooding the field for the control of cutworms.
C. Manipulation of light
1. Treating the grains for storage using IR light to kill all stages of insects (eg.)
Infra-red seed treatment unit (Fig.1).
2. Providing light in storage go downs as the lighting reduces the fertility of
Indian meal moth, Plodia.
3. Light trapping.
D. Manipulation of air
1. Increasing the CO2 concentration in controlled atmosphere of stored grains to
cause asphyxiation in stored product pests.
E. Use of irradiation
Gamma irradiation from Co60 is used to sterilize the insects in laboratory
which compete with the fertile males for mating when released in natural condition.
(eg.) cattle screw worm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax control in Curacao Island by
E.F.Knipling.
CULTURAL CONTROL
Definition : Manipulation of cultural practices to the disadvantage of pests.
I. Farm level pratices
S.No. Cropping Techniques Pest Checked
1. Ploughing Red hairy caterpillar
2. Puddling Rice mealy bug
3. Trimming and plastering Rice grass hopper
4. Pest free seed material Potato tuber moth
5. High seed rate Sorghum shootfly
6. Rogue space planting Rice brown planthopper
7. Plant density Rice brown planthopper
8. Earthing up Sugarcane whitefly
9. Detrashing Sugarcane whitefly
10. Destruction of weed hosts Citrus fruit sucking moth
11. Destruction of alternate host Cotton whitefly
12. Flooding Rice armyworm
13. Trash mulching Sugarcane early shoot borer
14. Pruning / topping Rice stem borer
15. Intercropping Sorghum stem borer
16. Trap cropping Diamond back moth
17. Water management Brown planthopper
18. Judicious application of fertilizers Rice leaf folder
19. Timely harvesting Sweet potato weevil
II. Community level practices
1. Synchronized sowing : Dilution of pest infestation (eg) Rice, Cotton
2. Crop rotation : Breaks insect life cycle
3. Crop sanitation
a) Destruction of insect infested parts (eg.) Mealy bug in brinjal
b) Removal of fallen plant parts (eg.) Cotton squares
c) Crop residue destruction (eg.) Cotton stem weevil
, Advantages Disadvantages
1. No extra skill 1. No complete control
2. No costly inputs 2. Prophylactic nature
3. No special equipments 3. Timing decides success
4. Minimal cost
5. Good component in IPM
6. Ecologically sound
PHYSICAL CONTROL
Modification of physical factors in the environment to minimise (or) prevent
pest problems. Use of physical forces like temperature, moisture, etc. in managing the
insect pests.
A. Manipulation of temperature
1. Sun drying the seeds to kill the eggs of stored product pests.
2. Hot water treatment (50 - 55oC for 15 min) against rice white tip nematode.
3. Flame throwers against locusts.
4. Burning torch against hairy caterpillars.
5. Cold storage of fruits and vegetables to kill fruitflies (1 - 2oC for 12 - 20 days).
B. Manipulation of moisture
1. Alternate drying and wetting rice fields against BPH.
2. Drying seeds (below 10% moisture level) affects insect development.
3. Flooding the field for the control of cutworms.
C. Manipulation of light
1. Treating the grains for storage using IR light to kill all stages of insects (eg.)
Infra-red seed treatment unit (Fig.1).
2. Providing light in storage go downs as the lighting reduces the fertility of
Indian meal moth, Plodia.
3. Light trapping.
D. Manipulation of air
1. Increasing the CO2 concentration in controlled atmosphere of stored grains to
cause asphyxiation in stored product pests.
E. Use of irradiation
Gamma irradiation from Co60 is used to sterilize the insects in laboratory
which compete with the fertile males for mating when released in natural condition.
(eg.) cattle screw worm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax control in Curacao Island by
E.F.Knipling.
