Vol. 24 (1) (March 2021) Environment

First report of moth, assectella (Zeller), their nature of damage on crop at Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Bhumika Dewangan and Sonali Deole* Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh- 492012, India *Corresponding author: [email protected]

Garlic botanically known as sativum and belongs to Alliaceae family (Iciek et al., 2009; Lanzotti, 2006). Garlic is native of Central Asia. It is mostly used for salads, soups; pickles for seasoning foods in culinary purpose and also to add smell and flavour to salted meat and fish. It is rich in organosulfur compound known as allicin (allyl 2-propen ethio sulfinate or di allyl thio sulfinate). The world's major garlic growing countries are China, India, Republic of Korea, , Egypt etc. The main garlic producing states in India are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh.

Leek moth is an , native to . It favours plants in the allium family, especially , , garlic, and causing damage to young leaves, flowers and cloves. The adult moth is brown and white and is nocturnal, making it difficult to detect. The adults lay eggs on the host plant, and then, a week or so later, small, yellow larvae hatch and begin feeding. The first generation of larvae eats the leaves. Feeding by larvae damages plants and is particularly devastating on early Allium spp. plants. Most plant damage occurs at the perimeter of a cropped field (Nyrop et al., 1989). Generations that emerge later in the summer find their way inside the plant, working their way down into the bulb. The invasion usually causes the bulb to rot, either in the ground or after being harvested and stored.

The study on nature of damage of Leek moth, Acrolepiopsis assectella (Zeller) on garlic crop was carried out at Horticulture farm, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (C.G.) during Kharif season, 2020-2021on garlic variety GG-4. Symptoms were recorded by destructive sampling at periodic intervals. The larvae were found to cause damage on vegetative stage.

The larvae soon after hatching feed on leaf surface and mine galleries 2-5 mm long in the epidermis of the leaves. Later they fold and bore the leaves towards the centre of the plant,

50 Vol. 24 (1) (March 2021) Insect Environment causing symptoms like hole on inner leaves and grooves in the mature plant. They prefer to feed on the young leaves but they can also feed on more than two months old leaves. After about five days, the larvae move toward the centre part of the plant, eventually boring through the folded inner leaves. Larvae may feed on the insides of hollow leaves, creating translucent “windows” or bands on the leaf tissue. Feeding on the leaf tissue by the caterpillars causes a reduction in plant growth. If larvae are numerous, weakening or withering of the plant can occur. On old leaves, open galleries can be seen which decrease the economic value of the plant. Occasionally, larvae attack the cloves. Larvae are probably stimulated to feed by sulphur components of the host and by other general plant compounds.

Fig. 1.1. Acrolepiopsis assectella Fig. 1.2. Damage caused by larva on leaves

Fig. 1.3. Acrolepiopsis assectella adult

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References:

Iciek, M., Kwiecień, I. and Włodek, L. 2009. Biological properties of garlic and garlic-derived organosulfur compounds. Environ Mol Mutagen, 50: 247-265.

Lanzotti V., 2006. The analysis of and garlic. Journal of Chromatography A,1112: 3–22

Nyrop, J.P.; Shelton, A.M. and Theunissen, J. 1989. Value of a control decision rule for leek moth infestations in leek. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 53(2):167-176.

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