Anthracnose disease on Pods

Cultural practices:

• Use certified seeds
• Practice crop rotation with non-legumes.
• Work in uninfected parts of the field first before the infected area.
• Avoid unnecessary movement in infected areas to minimize spread of the disease, disinfect farm implements after working from one field before proceeding to the other.
• Hot water treatment of Pigeon peas at 54º for 10min.

Chemical management:

• Applying fungicides from flower-bud formation stage until when pods are fully developed. The most susceptible stage is bud-formation, flowering period and early pod development.
• Spraying Carbendazim 500g or Mancozeb 2kg/ha soon after the appearance of disease and repeat after 15 days.
• Spraying other fungicides such as Copper based fungicides.

Powdery mildew disease

Powdery mildew patches on leaves

(Source: agriculture.vic.gov.au)

Cultural management options:

• Plant early using certified seeds.
• Practice crop rotation with non-legumes for a period of 2-3 seasons.
• Uproot and destroy severely affected plants, including weeds and volunteer crops by burying them deeply.
• Do not walk through your field during wet weather to prevent the spread of the disease from one plant to another.
• Ensure that field sanitation and hygiene practices are adhered to by collecting and disposing infected plants by deeply burying them.

Chemical management options:

• Spraying copper-based products such as copper oxychloride (cuprocaffaro micro 37.5 at a rate of 50 gm/20 litres water or Isacop 50WP at a rate of 60 g/20 litres of water) once initial symptoms are observed.

Cercospora leaf spot disease

Source: A.Too

Cultural practices:

• Practice good field sanitation and hygiene practices by collecting and safely disposing infected plants.
• Regular weeding.

Grow tolerant varieties:

• Grow varieties that are less susceptible to the disease such as KAT60/80 and Mbaazi 2.

Chemical management:

• Spray Mancozeb based products (Oshothane or Farmcozeb at 2kg/ha or Carbendazim 500 g/ha.

root rot disease

(Source: Maruti et. al 2017)

• Infected pigeon pea plant showing disintegration and Bark shredding symptom due to root disease.

Cultural practices:

• Crop rotation with non-legumes for 6-8 seasons.
• Practice crop rotation for 3-4 years with non-legume crops.
• Avoid surface run off by digging trenches, as these spreads the pathogen.

• Uproot affected plants and burn.
• Sterilize farm tools with Jik 50 ml/L.

Chemical management

• Drench affected fields with biopesticides (Trianum -P; Trichotech, Rootguard) at recommended rates.
• Where biopesticides are not available drench affected plants with Carbendazim products such as Rodazim.

Yellow Mosaic Viral disease

Source: semanticscholar.org

Cultural practices:

• Use of certified seed.
• Monitoring and control of vectors (White flies) that transmit the viruses.
• Avoiding work on fields when wet to prevent spread.
• Uprooting weeds that could serve as alternative hosts.
• Rogue out infected plants up to 45 days.

Chemical management:

• Treat the seeds with Thiomethoxam-70WS or Imidacloprid-70WS @4g/kg
• Spray Thiamethoxam-25WG @ 100g or Imidacloprid 17.8% SL @ 100 ml in 500 lit of water.
• Foliar spray with neem based biopesticides such as Nimbecidine or Achook 0.15% EC. Thiamethoxam 75 WS 1g/3 L and repeat after 15 days.
• Get other control products from the PCPB (www.pcpb.or.ke) list of registered pest control products, and use them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Sterility mosaic disease

Source: agropedia

Cultural practices:

• Use of certified seed
• Monitoring and control of vectors (Eriophyid mite) that transmit the viruses
• Rogue out the infected plants in the early stages of growth;
• Crop rotation with non-host crop like, tobacco, sorghum, pearl millet, cotton;
• Uprooting weeds that could serve as alternative hosts
• Rogue out infected plants immediately.

Use of Resistant/Tolerant Varieties:

Grow resistant varieties like Pusa-885, Asha, Sharad (DA11), Narendra Arhar1, Bahar, BSMR-853, BSMR 736, Rajeev Lochan, BDN-708.

Chemical management:

• Spray Fenazaquin 10 EC (Magister) @ 1 ml/liter of water on 45 and 60 DAS;
• Get other control products from the PCPB (www.pcpb.or.ke) list of registered pest control products, and use them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Alternaria blight

(Source; agropedia)

Cultural practices:

• Use of certified seed.
• Practicing crop rotation with non-legume crops for 3-4 years.
• Uprooting and destroying infected plants/volunteers by burying deeply.
• Disinfecting farm tools in jik solution (50 ml:litre).
• Avoidance of working in wet fields will be validated.

Chemical management:

• To suppress the disease, spray copper oxychloride (cuprocaffaro micro 37.5 at a rate of 50gm/20litres water or Isacop 50WP at a rate of 60g/20litres of water).
• Get other control products from the PCPB (www.pcpb.or.ke) list of registered pest control products, and use them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Phytophthora blight

(Source; agropedia)

Cultural practices:

• Crop rotation with non-legumes for a period of 2 to 3 seasons.
• Rogueing out infected plants from the farm and burying then deeply.
• Good drainage in the fields and the plants should be protected from stem injury.
• Crop rotation should be followed.
• Avoidance of working in the fields when plants are wet to minimize spread.
• Disinfecting farm tools in jik solution (50 ml: litre).
• Practicing good field sanitation and hygiene practices by collecting and disposing infected plants.

Chemical management:

• Seed treated with Metalaxyl 35 WS @3 g/ kg of seed
• Apply TOWER 72WP, POTPHOS 500 SL Soluble concentrate PREQUEL 720 WP Wettable Powder and use them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Drench soils and spray plants with Pyramid 700WP or Alial 80WP or Chancetyl 800 WP.

Fusarium wilt

(Source; agropedia)

Cultural practices:

• A three-year crop rotation schedule with non legumes and the planting of resistant varieties is advised.
• Field sanitation by removing or rouging infected plants and burning them should be done.
• A soil sample analysis should be done before planting of pigeon peas at each and every season.
• Disinfecting farm tools in jik solution (50 ml: litre).

Chemical management:

• Suspected infected soils can be drenched with Carbendazim based products like Rodazim SC or Bendazim SC as per the manufacturers’ recommendations.

Integrated Pest Management

Peas Aphid

Source: plantix.net

Cultural Control

• Prepare land well and apply 10 kg CAN/acre and 14 kgs/acre DAP to increase plant vigor.
• Control ants by ploughing and flooding the field to destroy the colonies, expose eggs and larvae to predators.
• Conserve natural enemies (e.g. flower bugs, lady bird beetles, praying mantis, hover flies, green lace wing, long horned grass hoppers and spiders) by planting lantana hedges to act as breeding grounds for predators.
• Rotate with non-host crops e.g. maize, upland rice, sorghum, okra, sugarcane, and sunflower to prevent build-up of population.
• Avoid alternate host crops such as Pigeon peas, green grams, lucerne.
• Remove heavily infested plant parts and destroy by burying in a deep pit.

Bio-control

• Apply neem-based products (e.g. neem oil 40ml/20lts of water, Achook) 2 times/month.
• Spray with soapy water solution (mix 1 tablespoon of teepol detergent with 4 lts of water or use strong jet of water to wash off aphids.
• Use of sticky traps.

Chemical Control

• Use ACTARA 25 WG Water Dispersible Granules ALONZE 50 EC Emulsifiable Concentrate and Duduthrin 1.75 EC (Lambdacyhalothrin 17.5 g/L).

Leaf miners (Liriomyza spp.)

Cultural Control

• Plant clean seedlings free from all stages of the moth.
• Rotate with non-host crops such as maize, Pigeon peas and cabbages.
• Remove and bury all infested plants, foliage and infected crop residues in a deep pit (over 1m).
• Remove infested leaves before the caterpillar pupates inside and becomes an egg-laying adult.

Bio-control

• Spray Bacillus thuringiensis at recommended rates.
• Use of Pheromone traps.
• Use sticky traps - 24 pcs/acre.

Chemical Control

• Spray spinetoram (Radiant 120 SC(R)) at rate of 18-30ml/20lts of water.

• Spray using Chlorantraniliprol based products e.g (Coragen 20 SC) SC(R)) at rate of 2ml/20lts of water.
• Apply Flubendiamide products e.g Belt according to manufacturer’s recommendations.

Spotted pod borer, (Maruca vitrata)

Larva on young developing pods of pigeon pea.

Source: https://www.krishisewa.com/articles/disease-management/268-pigeon-pea-insectpests.html

Cultural Control

• Scout the fields twice weekly, looking under the leaves and bud areas for pod borers.
• Remove and destroy or plough down crop residues from damaged plants in production fields.
• Rotate garden pea with cereals.
• Establish repellent/ trap crops.
• Incorporate manure to promote plant vigour.
• Practice crop rotation for a period of at least 6-8 weeks and ensure that the young crop is not planted next to an infested older crop.
• Weed fields since some weeds in the could serve as alternative hosts and harbour the pest season after season.

Bio-control

• Use neem-based products e.g Nimbecidine, Neemroc 0.03% and Achook 0.15%.
• Use biopesticides such as Halt 500 WP (Bacillus thuringiensis), Heltic SC (Helicoverpa armigera SNP 8% w/w 2x99 polyhedra per ml or Nimbecidine EC (Azadirachtin 0. 03%).

Chemical Control

• Amigus 500SC, Pentagon 5% ECIndicate A.I (applied according to manufacturer’s recommendations).

Migratory Locust

Migratory Locust, Schistocerca gregaria

Locust invasion on farm in Kenya in Feb 2020. (Source: catholicphilly.com)

Cultural Control

• Ploughing the egg infested field & trapping and killing in pits or trenches.
• Loud sounds to repel them from descending in the field
• Monitoring and forecasting networks to better control the evolution of populations and manage in time.

Bio-control

• Biopesticides such as Metarhizium anisopliae using ULV methods.
• Medicated nets, sprayed with garlic or neem oil.

Chemical Control

• Spray insect growth regulator DIMILIN OF-6 Ready for use oil-based suspension
• Report to the County Agricultural Office and Ministry of Agriculture for coordinated chemical control.

Pod borer (Nanaguna breviuscula)

Cultural Control

• Scout the fields twice weekly, looking under the leaves and bud areas for pod borers.
• Remove and destroy or plough down crop residues from damaged plants in production fields.
• Rotate pigeon pea with cereals.
• Establish repellent/ trap crops.
• Incorporate manure to promote plant vigour.
• Practice crop rotation for a period of at least 6-8 weeks and ensure that the young crop is not planted next to an infestated older crop.
• Weed fields since some weeds in the could serve as alternative hosts and harbour the pest season after season.

Bio-control

• Use neem-based products e.g Nimbecidine, Neemroc 0.03% and Achook 0.15%.
• Use biopesticides such as Halt 500 WP (Bacillus thuringiensis), Heltic SC (Helicoverpa armigera SNP 8% w/w 2x99 polyhedra per ml.

Chemical Control

• Spray using Amigus 500SC, Pentagon 5% EC (applied according to manufacturer’s recommendations).

Helicoverpa armigera

African bollworm caterpillar, Helicoverpa armigera larva feeding on pigeon pea pods.

(Source: https://www.krishisewa.com/articles/disease-management/268-pigeon-pea-insect-pests.html)

Management:

• Scout the fields twice weekly, looking under the leaves and bud areas for pod borers.
• Remove and destroy or plough down crop residues from damaged plants in production fields.
• Rotate pigeon pea with cereals.
• Establish repellent/ trap crops.
• Incorporate manure to promote plant vigour.
• Practice crop rotation for a period of at least 6-8 weeks and ensure that the young crop is not planted next to an infested older crop.
• Weed fields since some weeds in the could serve as alternative hosts and harbour the pest season after season.

Plume moth caterpillar, (Exelastis atomosa)

A lepidopteran larva. Bores into pods and damages the young developing seed

(Source: https://www.krishisewa.com/articles/disease-management/268-pigeon-pea-insect-pests.html

Management

• Scout the fields twice weekly, looking under the leaves and bud areas for plume moth caterpillar.
• Remove and destroy or plough down crop residues from damaged plants in production fields.
• Rotate pigeon pea with cereals.
• Establish repellent/ trap crops.
• Incorporate manure to promote plant vigour.

Blue butterfly caterpillar

Management

• Scout the fields twice weekly, looking under the leaves and bud areas for plume moth caterpillar
• Remove and destroy or plough down crop residues from damaged plants in production fields
• Rotate pigeon pea with cereals
• Establish repellent/ trap crops
• Incorporate manure to promote plant vigour
• Practice crop rotation for a period of at least 6-8 weeks and ensure that the young crop is not planted next to an infestated older crop
• Weed fields since some weeds in the could serve as alternative hosts and harbour the pest season after season

Blister beetles (Mylabris pustulata) in Pigeon pea

A coleopteran pest which feed on flower buds, damaging structures for pod formation.

(Source: https://www.krishisewa.com/articles/disease-management/268-pigeon-pea-insect-pests.html

Management

• Deep ploughing at summer season.
• Remove the plant debris from the field.
• Remove the weeds from field.

Sucking bug (Clavigralla spp) in Pigeon pea

Management

• Remove residue if previous crop was infested by bugs, to prevent insect from multiplying in the crop residues.
• Destroy ratoon crop and volunteer plants of pigeon pea as they are major sources of pest carry- over.
• Avoid staggering/ relay cropping as it allows bugs to move progressively from early to later plantings, building to very high levels in later plantings.
• Plant away from other hosts plants e.g. cotton, mango, Pigeon peas, Dolichos lablab, cowpea, chickpea, soya Pigeon pea, sweet potato and spinach.
• Plant early to avoid periods of heavy infestation
• Intercrop with sorghum, millet or sunflower to reduce infestation
• In the morning, hand pick bugs, or collect with insect nets, and destroy
• Maintain natural enemies of bugs by planting flowers around the pigeon pea garden, intercrop and leave residues in the field if not highly infected by pests or diseases

Management

• Plant in fields with no previous history of the disease.
• Crop rotations and field cleanliness - rotate with cereals.
• Avoid late planting (stem canker).

Weed management:

The plants do not compete well with weeds in the early growth stage and it is important to keep the crop weed-free in the first six weeks after establishment.  The most common method for the first two sessions of weeding is use of oxen-drawn plough to remove early weeds followed by hand weeding. Ox-drawn ploughs also helps in making ridges for water harvesting especially in drought prone areas.