There are many plants that repel insects. Most insect repelling plants can also be used commercially. see the list below. However, any monocrop field will attract various insects that will cause damage. Just because lavender repels certain moths, it does not mean that lavender will be moth free and not eaten. Another conundrum, flies play [...]

Agrius convolvuli is commonly known as the sweet potato hawkmoth or hornworm. Hawkmoths are big, with wing spans between 80–105 mm, grey to black with pink abdominal segments. Sweet potato weevil is the most destructive of all sweet potato pests as it destroys stems, leaves and fruit from the field to stored produce Kibrom Beyene. [...]

Blosyrus inaequalis is mostly found in Siri-Lanka and India, but lately also in the northern parts of South Africa. So far the economical damage cause in the highveld in South Africa is not a big concern, but in the lowveld it can cause problems. Folded leaf edges with 15-25 eggs is a sign of Blosyrus [...]

Root knot nematode, Meloidogyne spp., are small round worms present on the roots and must not be confused with root knots of Rhizobium spp., which are actually good for the plant. Legume nodules are smaller and pinkish inside while Root Knot galls are distorted and have abnormal branches. Root Knot infestation just looks bad compared [...]

Scientific application of a spray program ensures its effectiveness. All chemicals must be applied at the right place (target) and the right time and in the right way. Pesticides and fungicides are dangerous chemicals, they are designed to kill pests and diseases, but they can also kill humans if not used correctly. The application method [...]

Pest and diseases of pigeon peas Pests The biggest threat to pigeon peas are gram caterpillar, the red gram plume moth and the gram pod fly. There are no effective control methods against these pests. Thrips cause premature flower drop but there are chemicals that can control them. The caterpillar of the spotted borer can [...]

Chilli insect control is very similar to tomatoes, peppers and potatoes as they are all from the same family of plants. You could say they are all cousins to each other. All these plants belong to the genus Capsicum or Solanaceae families. If you have grown tomatoes or green peppers before, be prepared to have the [...]

Green beans are attached by various pests and because effective pest control is such an important aspect of green bean production, the bean pests must be identified before the correct control measures can be applied. The safe period applicable to a specific pesticide is very important. This period allows the chemical to bio-degrade and makes [...]