Physical and Mechanical Practices in Potato Dr. S.K. Dutta & Dr. Badal Bhattacharyya Department of Entomology Assam Agricultural University,Jorhat-13

Erecting m long branches of neem plants in white grub infested areas before sunset during the peak period of activity (April - June) to attract and destroy the adults of white grub Fig. 1.White grub adults (beetles) on neem tree Source:

Shaking the twigs of the preferred host plants like neem, guava, jamun, ber etc. of adults of white grubs and subsequent collection of the fallen beetles in an inverted umbrella and their destruction by dipping in kerosinized jar or by burning Fig. 2.Collection of white grub beetles from host trees Source: Fig.3. White grub beetles collected from host trees Source:

Hand collection and destruction of eggs, larvae and pupae of white grub and cut worm after ploughing the soil Fig. 4.Hand collection of white grubs Source: AINP on white grubs, Department of Entomology Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat

Hand collection of snails and slugs in a bucket containing salt water just two hours after sunset Fig. 5.Hand collection of slugs and snails Source:

Use of saw dust, rice bran, wood ash as protective barrier to snails and slugs Fig. 6. Saw dust Wood ash Rice bran Source

Repeated ploughing of soil to destroy the paths and caves of mole crickets Fig.7. Mole cricket caves(within circles) Source: Source:

Collection of Epilachna beetles and green leaf hoppers by hand nets or sweep nets to reduce the intensity of infestation Fig.8. Sweepnet Fig.9. Insect collection by sweep net Source:

Use of substances such as saw dust, ashe or crushed eggshells placed around the base of plant may trap and subsequently kill the cutworm larvae by abrasive action Against cutworm larvae, use bait trap containing gram bran (1 kg), jaggary ( 100 gm), yeast (1gm) and chlorpyriphos (1 ml) at the time of 1 st and 2 nd earthing up

Covering of potato tubers with a 5 mm layer of dry sand, ash, rice husk or saw dust also lowers tuber moth infestation Fig.10.Covering of potato tubers with sand Source:

Keep the potato tubers in cold storage to reduce tuber moth infestation Fig.11. Potatoes in cold storage Source:

Use of light trap to collect and destroy adults of white grub, tuber moth, cut worm moth and mole cricket etc. Fig.12. Light trap Source:

Use of pitfall trap to collect and destroy mole crickets, field crickets and cutworm larvae Fig.13. Pitfall trap Source:

Use of Yellow pan trap, sticky trap to attract and kill winged aphids, leaf hoppers, mites etc. Locally available empty yellow coloured tins coated with ordinary grease on outer surface may also be used Fig.14. Yellow pan trap and yellow sticky trap Source: