Lesson 1: Shoot Fly

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Module 3 Stem Pests
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics
Lessons
Modules

Lesson 1 Shoot Fly
The adult of shoot fly is a small, gray colored
fly and looks like a house fly (Fig.). Shoot
fly deposits small (2 mm) white, cigar-shaped
eggs, singly on the undersurface of the leaf.
Shoot Fly Adult
Shoot Fly Eggs
Course on Insect Pests of Sorghum
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Lesson 1 Shoot Fly
After hatching in 2-3 days, the maggot (Fig.)
enters the plant through the whorl and destroy
the growing point. The larval period lasts for
8-10 days.
Shoot Fly Maggot
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Lesson 1 Shoot Fly
Crop damage As a result of larval feeding, the
central leaf wilts and later dries up, giving the
typical deadheart symptom (Fig.). The deadheart
can be easily pulled out and, at the base, emits
a bad smell. The young whitish yellow maggot
feeds only on the decaying tissue.
Dead-heart in sorghum
Crop Damage
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Lesson 1 Shoot Fly
Crop damage Normally the damage occurs from 1
week to about 1 month after crop emergence. If
the attack occurs a little later, plants may
produce side tillers that may also be attacked
(Fig.). Late sowing during the rainy season
increases the likelihood of attack.
Side tillers due to shoot fly attack
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Lesson 1 Shoot Fly
Management Shoot fly infestation can be
avoided by early sowing to avoid the active
period of shoot fly population. If the sowings
are completed within 7-10 days of the onset of
the monsoon rains, the crop can escape from shoot
fly infestation. In the rabi season, sowing
between September end to October first week
relatively reduces the shoot fly infestation.
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Lesson 1 Shoot Fly
Management If early sowing could not be
carried out, then use high seed rate. While
thinning the crop, remove the seedlings with
deadhearts and keep the optimum plant stand in
the field. Select and grow resistant varieties
if delayed sowing is unavoidable.
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Lesson 1 Shoot Fly
Management During the off-season, the shoot
fly survives on volunteer or fodder sorghums, and
also on weeds like barnyard grass. So, pulling
out such plants can avoid later problem from
shoot fly.
Barnyard Grass Weed
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Lesson 1 Shoot Fly
Management Under late plantings, control the
shoot fly by the application of either Carbofuran
3 g or Phorate 10G at 20 kg/ha at the time of
planting in the seed furrows. Alternatively,
shoot fly damage can be minimized by spraying
with Endosulfan 35 EC using 2mL in 1L water/ha at
7 and 14 day after the emergence of seedlings.