1. PESTS OF WHEAT

2. Wheat (Triticum vulgare) belongs to the family GRAMINEAE
Wheat (Triticum vulgare) belongs to the family GRAMINEAE. This crop is unique in that it is attacked by very few pests. Only the following pests cause significant damage –
Wheat Stem Borer
Termites
Grasshoppers
Weevils
Aphid, Jassid and Brown Mite
Nematodes

3. The Wheat Stem Borer (Sesamia Inferens)
This is a serious pest of many crops in several countries.
Distribution : Sesamia Inferens is found in india, Pakistan, China, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines and adjoining islands.
Host Plants : Besides wheat, S. inferens attacks sugarcane, maize, rice, jowar and millets.

4. PHYLUM ARTHROPODA CLASS INSECTA ORDER LEPIDOPTERA FAMILY NOCTUIDAE
SYSTEMATIC POSITION
KINGDOM ANIMALIA
PHYLUM ARTHROPODA
CLASS INSECTA
ORDER LEPIDOPTERA
FAMILY NOCTUIDAE
GENUS SESAMIA

5. LIFE HISTORY :- Adult female moth lays about 300 eggs in 2-3 rows on the inner surface of the leaf sheath of the host plant. The eggs are rounded with flattened poles. Tiny caterpillars emerge from eggs. These are pink to violet on the upper surface and whitish on the undersurface. They bore into the stems of wheat plant to feed. They never feed in an exposed position. During growth, the caterpillars burrow up and down and migrate from shoot to shoot.

6. The shoots are killed in the process
The shoots are killed in the process. The caterpillar becomes full grown after 6-7 moults. It pupates in a rough cocoon of silk and debris within the shoot or outside under a dry leaf sheath. The adult moth has a stout body of dark straw or light brown colour. It is nocturnal.

7. PUPA OF SESAMIA INFERENS

8. CATERPILLAR OF SESAMIA INFERENS

9. ADULT OF SESAMIA INFERENS

10. DAMAGE

11. The caterpillars of Sesamia moth attack and kill the young shoots of wheat crop, causing uneven growth. Hot, moist weather is favorable for the pest.

12. CONTROL MANAGEMENT

13. The following measures can help to control the wheat stem borer.
Spraying the crop with carbaryl or trichlorphos may destroy the pest. However, the application of insecticides some times increases the borer population, probably by killing the natural enemies.
Therefore, the chemical control is not advocated against this pest.

14. The grass weeds should be removal and burried or burnt to kill the eggs and larvae as these also act as the host plants.
The affected shoots should be removed and destroyed to kill the borers they contain.
The clean cultivation and removal of the attacked shoots are the only methods advocted for the control of the pest.

15. 2. OTHER WHEAT PESTS :-
a).TERMITES :-
Microtermes obesi and odontotermes obesus damage the wheat crop soon after sowing and near maturity. The affected plants dry up completely and are easily pulled out. The plants damaged at later stages give rise to white ears.

16. TERMITES BELONG TO THE FAMILY TERMITIDAE AND ORDER ISOPTERA.

17. b). NEMATODES :- The wheat gall nematode, Anguina tritici, causes the ear cockle or mamni disease throughout the world. The molya nematode, Heterodera avenae, has been recently found attacking the wheat roots in punjab, haryana and rajasthan.