Management |
Activity |
Pre-sowing*
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Common cultural practices: · Deep summer ploughing · Use resistant/tolerant varieties · Follow crop rotation with non-host crops · Destroy the alternate host plants · Sow the ecological engineering plants · Sow sorghum/maize/bajra in 4 rows all around the main crop as guard/barrier crop · Soil solarization to prevent soil borne pathogens. · Timely sowing should be done. · Field sanitation, rogueing · Destroy the alternate host plants · Apply manures and fertilizers as per soil test recommendations · Adoption of crop rotation Common mechanical practices: · Uproot and burn infected plants parts early to avoid spread of the disease. · Collection and destruction of larvae. |
Nutrients |
· Apply FYM @ 5 t/ acre and incorporate in the soil 2 to 3 weeks before sowing. |
Weeds |
· Remove existing weeds at the time of sowing. · Weed species: Cyperus iria, Digera arvensis, Convolvulus arvensis, Trianthema sp.,Tridax procumbens, Euphorbia hirta, Phyllanthus niruri are controlled by 2,4-D dimethyl amine salt 58% SL 612 ml in 200-240 l of water/acre and 2,4-D ethyl ester 38 % EC (having 2,4-D acid 34 % w/w) 400 ml in 170 l of water/acre. |
Soil borne pathogens, resting stages of insects |
Cultural control: · Effective weed control. · Trimming of bunds · Early planting minimizes shoot fly, midge and ear head bug damage. · Planting sunhemp as trap crop to control the pest. Biological control: · Application of neem cake@ 80 Kg/ acre for nematode control. · Controlling adult beetles feeding on neem. · Acacia like trees on field bunds by shaking trees and destroying the beetles. |
Sorghum loose Smut** |
Cultural control: · Collect smutted ear-heads in cloth bags and destroy by dipping in boiling water or bury in soil. · Avoid ratooning. Chemical control: · Spray thiram 75% WS @ 10-12 g/acre in 400 ml of water. |
Grain smut** |
Cultural control: · Collect smutted ear-heads in cloth bags and destroy by dipping in boiling water. · Avoid ratooning Chemical control: · Seed treatment with sulphur 80% WP 1.2-1.6g/Kg seed in 400 ml of water. |
Sowing*
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Common cultural practices: · Use healthy, certified and weed free seeds. · Follow proper spacing · Crop rotation with pulses or oilseed crops. Common mechanical practices: · After harvest, plough to remove and destroy the stubbles. · Collection and destruction of white grub. |
Nutrients |
· Apply NPK fertilizers as per soil test recommendations as far as possible. If soil test recommendations are not available, adopt a blanket recommendation of 30 N, 18 P2O5, and 18 K2Kg/acre. · Application of bio-fertilizers: When Azospirillum is used apply only 75% of recommended N for irrigated sorghum. · Mix 12.5 Kg of micronutrient mixture formulated with enough sand to make a total quantity of 50 Kg. · Basal application of 10 Kg ZnSO4/acre-1 for the deficient soils or 5 Kg Zn SO4 acre -1 + FYM for the Zn deficient soils · Basal application of FeSO4, 20 Kg/acre along with 5 t/acre FYM for iron deficient soils. |
Weeds |
· Weed Species: Cyperus iria, Digera arvensis, Convolvulus arvensis, Trianthema sp.,Tridax procumbens, Euphorbia hirta, Phyllanthus niruri are controlled by2,4-D dimethyl amine salt 58% SL 612 mlin200-240 l of water/acre and 2,4-D ethyl ester 38 % EC (having 2,4-D acid 34 % w/w)400 ml in 170 l of water/acre. |
Shoot fly |
Cultural control: · Early sowing to avoid the active period of shoot fly population. · Planting date in kharif 7-10 days onset of monsoon and in rabi end of September to 1st week of October is ideal to escape the shoot fly · High seed rate 1.6 – 2.0 Kg/acre. · Tall variety with yellow glossy stem less attacked. Mechanical control: · Removal of the seedlings with dead hearts. · Set up the low cost fish meal traps @4/acre till the crop is 30 days old. Chemical control: · Seed treatment with imidacloprid 48% FS @12ml/Kg seeds · Seed treatment with imidacloprid 70% WS@ 10g/Kg seeds · Spraying carbaryl 50%WP@ 600g/acre in 200-400 l of water. · Soil application carbofuran 3% CG @13320g/acre. · Spraying oxydemeton-methyl 25% EC @400ml/acre in 200-400 l of water. · Soil application phorate 10% CG @ 7500g/acre. · Spraying quinalphos 25%EC @ 600ml/acre in 200-400 l of water. · Seed treatment with thiamethoxam 30% FS @ 10 ml/Kgseeds. |
Sorghum white grub |
Mechanical control: · See the common mechanical practices Chemical control: · Apply phorate 10% @ CG 10 Kg/acre. |
Sorghum downy mildew** |
Cultural control: · Grow moderately resistant varieties. Chemical control: · Seed treatment with metalaxyl 35% WS @ 6-7 g/Kg seed. |
Vegetative
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Common cultural practices: · Collect and destroy crop debris · Collect and destroy disease infected and insect damaged plant parts · Provide irrigation at critical stages of the crop · Avoid water logging · Avoid water stress during flowering stage · Judicious use of fertilizers · Enhance parasitic activity by avoiding chemical spray, when 1-2 larval parasitoids are observed Common mechanical practices: · Collection and destruction of eggs and early stage larvae · Handpick the older larvae during early stages · The infested shoots and seed capsules may be collected and destroyed · Handpick the gregarious caterpillars and the cocoons which are found on stem and destroy them in kerosene mixed water. · Use yellow sticky traps @ 4-5 trap/acre · Use light trap @ 1/acre and operate between 6 pm and 10 pm · Install pheromone traps @ 4-5/acre for monitoring adult moths activity (replace the lures with fresh lures after every 2-3 weeks) · Erecting of bird perches @ 20/acre for encouraging predatory birds such as King crow, common mynah etc. · Set up bonfire during evening hours at 7-8 pm Common biological practices: · Conserve natural enemies through ecological engineering · Augmentative release of natural enemies |
Nutrients |
· Apply N @ 50:25:25 % at 0, 15 and 30 DAS and full dose of P2O5 and K2O basally before sowing and if basal application is not possible the same could be top dressed within 24 hours. |
Weeds |
· Apply 2,4-D @ 400g/acre on 20-25 DAS on the plants surface, using Backpack/Knapsack/Rocker sprayer fitted with a flat fan nozzle using 80 l of water/acre (or) if herbicides are not used, hand weeding twice on 10-15 DAS and 30-35 DAS. |
Stem borer |
· Follow common cultural, mechanical and biological practices Cultural control: · Select and grow varieties resistant to spotted stem borer. Sow the lablab or cowpea or pigeon pea as an intercrop (Sorghum: Lablab 4:1) reduces the damage by stem borers. Biological control: · Egg parasitoids: Trichogramma chilonis @ 30,000/acre/ week Chemical control: · Spray carbaryl 50%WP @ 800g in 200-400 l of water/acre. · Application of carbofuran 3%CG @ 3320gm/acre. · Apply quinalphos 5% G 6000 @ g/acre. |
Sorghum downy mildew |
· As mentioned above in the sowing stage |
Flowering
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Midge |
· Follow common cultural, mechanical and biological practices Cultural control: · Removal of Johnson grassy weed Biological control: · Neem seed kernel extract 5% · Azadirachtin 1% · Parasitoids: Aprostocetus sp. Chemical control: · Spray quinalphos 1.5% DP @ 10640 g/acre; phosalone 4% DP @ 10000g/acre; phosalone 35% EC @ 457.2 ml in 200-400 l of water/acre; malathion 50% EC @ 400ml in 200-400 l of water/acre.; malathion 5% DP@ 8000 g/acre; dimethoate 30% EC @ 660 ml in 200-400 l of water/acre; carbaryl 5% DP @ 8000 g/acre. |
Sorghum ear head caterpillar** |
· Follow common cultural, mechanical and biological practices Biological control: · Two applications of NPV at 10 days interval at 1.5 X1012 POB along with crude sugar 2.5 Kg + cotton seed kernel powder 250 g. |
Sorghum earhead bug** |
· Follow common cultural, mechanical and biological practices Biological control: · Neem seed kernel extract 5% · Azadirachtin 1% Chemical control: · Quinalphos 1.5% DP 10kg/acre. |
Sorghum grain mould |
· Follow common cultural, mechanical and biological practices |
Sorghum charcoal rot |
· Follow common cultural, mechanical and biological practices Cultural control: · Plant varieties with good stalk strength · Plant in fertile soil. · Avoid high plant populations unless irrigating. · Rotate with cotton. |
Sorghum anthracnose** |
· Follow common cultural, mechanical and biological practices Cultural control: · Eliminate other susceptible plants such as Johnson grass. · Rotate crops. · In poorly rotated fields, plough under infested residue where erosion is not a problem. Chemical control: · Treat the seeds with thiram at 4 g/Kg. |
Sorghum rust** |
Follow common cultural, mechanical and biological practices Cultural control: · Remove the alternate host Oxalis comiculata |
Sorghum ergot** |
· Follow common cultural, mechanical and biological practices |
Sorghum loose smut** |
· Same as mentioned in the above pre-sowing stage |
Grain smut** |
· Same as mentioned in the above pre-sowing stage |
Birds** |
Mechanical control: · Use bird scarer · Use reflecto-ribbon surrounding sorghum field Botanical control: · Apply NSKE5% on panicle to save the damage from birds |
Note: Apply Trichoderma spp./ harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens as seeds/ seedling/ planting material treatment and soil application (if commercial products are used, check for label claim. However, biopesticides produced by farmers for own consumption in their fields, registration is not required). |