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Insect Pests of Soybean and Their Management
Shweta Patel
*
and Siddarth N. Rahul
College of Agriculture, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and
Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, India
*Email of corresponding author: patel19.rk@gmail.com
Introduction
Soybean, Glycine max, is the unique grain legume globally known for its dual purpose use as
pulse and oilseed containing 38-44% protein and 18-22% oil. Soybean also finds place as the
key component in a diverse range of industrial products like solvents, adhesives, inks,
lubricants and insulating foams etc. In a large section of vegetarian people in country like
India, soybean plays an important role as a rich source of protein. India is the third largest
importer of soya oil in the world and is one of the major exporters of soya meal to the other
Asian countries. Soybean provides substratum for about 275 species of insect pests in India,
out of these only a dozen of species like girdle beetle, tobacco caterpillar, green semilooper,
Bihar hairy caterpillar, stemfly, aphids, jassids and white fly etc. attained the major pest
status. About 380 species of insects have been reported on soybean crop from many parts of
the world.
Bihar Hairy Caterpillar, Spilarctia obliqua (Arctiidae: Lepidoptera)
Identification of the pest
• Eggs: Laid in cluster on the underside of leaves.
• Larva: Covered with long yellowish to greyish hairs
• Pupa: Elongated and oval in shape
• Adult: Medium sized brown moth with a red abdomen
Nature of damage
Young larvae feed gregariously on chlorophyll mostly on the under surface of the leaves, due
to which the leaves look like brownish-yellow in colour.In later stages the larvae eat the
leaves from the margin.The leaves of the plant give an appearance of net or web.
Management
• Deep summer ploughing.
• Avoid pre monsoon sowing.
• Use optimum seed rate.
• Adequate plant spacing should be provided
• Intercrop soybean either with (early maturing) pigeon pea variety or maize or sorghum in
the sequence of 4:2 should be practiced.
• Collect and destroy infested plant parts, egg masses and young larvae.
• Field Sanitation: Remove the infested plant parts at least once in 10 days and bury them in
compost pit to monitor and reduce the population.
The biotic stresses like insect pests, diseases and weeds cause about 20-
100% yield
loss. The luxuriant crop growth, soft and succulent foliage attracts many insects and
provides unlimited source of food, space and shelter.
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• Light Trap: Install one light trap (200W mercury vapour lamp) per hectare to catch the
adults of some nocturnal pests such as hairy caterpillar (positively phototropic).
• Apply chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 1.5 lit/ha or triazophos 40 EC @ 1.0 lit/ha or quinalphos 25
EC @ 1.5 lit/ha.
• Dust Chlorpyriphos 1.5% DP or quinalphos 1.5% DP @ 25kg/ha when the population is
likely to reach 10/m row length (ETL). Repeat it as needed
Gram Pod Borer: Helicoverpa armigera (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)
Identification of the pest
•
Eggs: Spherical in shape and creamy white in colour, laid singly
•
Larva: Shows colour variation from greenish to brown. It has dark brown grey lines on the
body with lateral white lines and also has dark and pale bands.
•
Pupa: Brown in colour, occurs in soil, leaf, pod and crop debris
•
Adult: Light pale brownish yellow stout moth. Forewings are olive green to pale brown
with a dark brown circular spot in the centre. Hind wings are pale smoky white with a
broad blackish outer margin.
Nature of damage
•
The young larvae feed on the chlorophyll of young leaves and skeletonize it.
•
They feed voraciously on the foliage in early stage, may defoliate the plant and later they
feed on flowers and pods.
Management
•
Deep summer ploughing
•
Install pheromone traps at a distance of 50 m @ 5 traps/ha for each insect pest.
•
Erect bird perches @ 50/ha.
•
Clip terminal shoots on 100 days of crop growth.
•
Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to kill moth population
•
Dusting with Chlorpyriphos 1.5 % DP or fenvalerate 0.4% or quinalphos 1.5% @ 25 to 30
kg/ha
•
Spray with Chlorpyriphos 1.5 % DP @1200 ml/ha or quinalphos 25 EC @ 1.0 lit/ha
Tobacco Caterpillar: Spodopteralitura(Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)
Identification of the pest
•
Egg: Egg masses appear golden brown.
•
Larva: Velvety black with yellowish green dorsal strips and lateral white bands.
Gregarious in the early stages
•
Pupa:red or brown in colour, tip of abdomen with two small spines
•
Adult : Forewings are greyish brown colour with wavy white marking. Hind wings are
white colour with a brown patch along the margin
Nature of damage
•
Larvae feed on the chlorophyll of the leaves.
•
The eaten leaves give the appearance of whitish yellow web.
Management
•
Deep summer ploughing.
•
Avoid pre-monsoon sowing.
•
Optimum seed rate (70-100 kg/ha) should be used.
•
Collect and destroy infested plant parts, egg masses and larva.
•
Install sex pheromone trap @ 10 traps/ha for early deduction of the pest.
•
Erection of bird perches @ 10-12/ha.
•
Field Sanitation: Remove the infested plant parts at least once in 10 days and bury them in
compost pit to monitor and reduce the populations of tobacco caterpillar. Traps are used for
monitoring the pest situation.
Patel
and Ra
hul
,
2020, Pop. Kheti
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8
(4):
58
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•
Install one light trap (200W mercury vapour lamp) per hectare to catch the adults of some
nocturnal pests such as tobacco caterpillar (positively phototropic).
•
Install five sex pheromone traps per hectare (change septa after 3 weeks), specific for male
adults of tobacco caterpillar (separate pheromone for each).
•
Apply Profenophos 50EC @ 1000 ml/ha or deltamethrin 2.8 EC @ 750 ml/ha
or quinolphos 25 EC @ 1000ml/ha
•
In case of severe infestation apply polytrin C 44EC@ 1 lit/ha or profenophos 50 EC 2.00
lit/ha
•
Dust Deltamethrin 2.8% EC or quinalphos 1.5% @ 25kg/ha when their population is likely
to reach 10/m row length (ETL). Repeat it as needed.
Jassids: Aphelionamaculosa
Identification of the pest
•
Nymphs and adults: are light green in colour and suck the sap from leaves and stem.
Nature of damage
•
Infested leaves start yellowing from the margins.
•
In case of severe attack, all the leaves become yellow and eventually fall off from the
plants.
Management
Install one light trap (200W mercury vapour lamp) per hectare to catch the adults of some
nocturnal pests such as jassid, (positively phototropic)
Spray 0.05 % quinalphos 25 EC, oxydemeton methyl 25 EC, or dimethoate 30 EC @ 2ml
/lit at the crop age of 35-40 days and repeat after 15 days if needed.
Girdle Beetle: Oberea (Obereopsis) brevis
Identification of the pest
•
Egg: laid singly and off white in colour
•
Larva: White, soft-bodied worm with a dark head.
•
Adult:The freshly emerged adult is yellow, red and brown on the head, thorax and bases
of elytra.
Nature of damage
•
Girdling of stems and petioles
Bihar Hairy
Caterpillar
(Spilarctia obliqua)
Tobacco caterpillar
(Spodoptera litura)
White fly
(Bemisia tabaci)
Gram pod borer
(Helicoverpa armigera)
Girdle beetle
(Obereopsis brevis)
Jassids
(Apheliona maculosa)
Stem fly
(Melanagro myzasojae)
Patel
and Ra
hul
,
2020, Pop. Kheti
,
8
(4):
58
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•
The inside of the stem is eaten by the larvae and a tunnel is formed inside the stem.
•
The leaves of plant of infected portion are unable to get the nutrient and are dried up.
•
In later stages the plant is cut at about 15 to 25 cm above the ground.
Management
•
Deep summer ploughing
•
Planting time on the onset of monsoon
•
Optimum seed rate (70-100 kg/ha) should be used
•
Intercropping with maize or sorghum should be avoided
•
Crop rotation should be followed
•
Avoid excess nitrogenous fertilizers.
•
Collect and destroy infested plant parts and egg masses.
•
Remove the infested plant parts at least once in 10 days and bury them in compost pit to
monitor and reduce the populations of girdle beetle
•
Apply phorate 10 G @ 10 kg/ha or carbofuran 3 G @ 30 kg/ha at the time of sowing.
•
One or two sprays of 0.03% dimethoate 30 EC or 0.05% quinalphos 25 EC or 0.05%
methyl demeton 25 EC or 0.04% can check further damage.
•
Spray quinalphos 25 EC triazophos 40 EC @ 2 ml/lit. at the crop age of 30-35 days and
repeal after 15-20 days (1000 lt spray/ha)
Stem Fly: Melanagromyzasojae(Agromyzidae: Diptera)
Identification of the pest
•
Maggot: White in colour and remains inside the stem.
•
Adult: Flies are shining black and about 2 mm long.
Nature of damage
•
The eggs are laid on leaves.
•
After hatching from the egg yellowish maggots bore the nearest vein of the leaf.
•
The maggots then reach the stem through petiole and bore down the stem.
•
If the infected stem is opened by splitting, distinct zig zag reddish tunnel can be seen with
maggot or pupae inside it.
•
The maggots feed on cortical layers of the stem, may extend to tap root, killing of the
plant.
Management
•
Deep summer ploughing.
•
Avoid pre monsoon sowing.
•
Use optimum seed rate and plant spacing.
•
Proper crop rotation with dissimilar crops should be followed.
•
Remove and destroy the damaged plant parts.
•
Soil application of phorate 10 G @ 10 kg/ha or carbofuran 3 G @ 30 kg/ha at the time of
sowing will prevent early infestation by stem fly.
•
One or two sprays of 0.03% dimethoate 30 EC or 0.05% quinalphos 25 EC can stop the
damage.
References
Singh RS. 1990. Insect Pest of Tropical Food Legumes.John Willey and Sons.New York,
pp.451.
Ahirwar R, Devi P and Gupta R. 2015. Seasonal incidence of major insect- pests and their
biocontrol agents of soybean crop (Glycine max L. Merrill). Academic Journal,
10(12): 402-406.
Patel
and Ra
hul
,
2020, Pop. Kheti
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8
(4):
58
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ISSN: 2321
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