How to Select the Right Insecticide for Your Crop? Explained by BharatAgri’s Krushi Doctor

BharatAgri is a brand that is dedicatedly focused on improving the productivity of farmers, we have a team of expert Krushi doctors who are rigorously working to improve the yield of crops, cropping patterns, farming needs, and connectivity of farmers with the e-stores for economical purchases. For the same reason we’ve built the best platform for farmers to buy products for their farms with the best assistance in selecting the required fertilizer and crop protection products that are not available in their nearby stores at the most affordable prices.

Every year tonnes of crops get wasted due to uncontrolled pests and insects, the major missing is “the knowledge”. Too many products available in the market are used as a treatment for pests. With this article, the expert Krushi Doctors of Bharatagri will explain how to select the right insecticide and pesticide according to your crop. Here we will explain the right formula that should be used, its dosage, precautions to be taken, and the best products available in the market for the same.

Types of Pests & Insects Based on Feeding Habits

Insects can be categorized based on their feeding habits into two main groups: Tissue Consumers (Chewing Pests) and Sap Suckers (Sucking Pests).

Tissue Consumers (Chewing Pests)

Tissue consumers, or chewing pests, feed on various plant parts by chewing through the tissues. This group causes significant damage to crops by consuming leaves, stems, roots, and fruits.

• Stem Borer: Stem borers are notorious pests that tunnel into stems, causing wilting and death of plants. Eg. - Rice Stem Borer, Maize Stem Borer, Sugarcane Stem Borer

• Shoot Fly: Shoot flies lay eggs on young seedlings, and the larvae burrow into shoots, leading to dead hearts. They commonly damage sorghum and maize.

• Cutworm: Cutworms are larvae that cut young plants at the base during nighttime, leading to plant death. They affect crops like cabbage, tomato, and maize.

• Leaf Folder: Leaf folders fold leaves and feed within, causing them to dry up. They are commonly found in rice.

• Leaf Miner: Leaf miners create tunnels within leaves, leading to blotchy, discolored patches. They affect crops like tomato, citrus, and beans.

• Fruit Borer: Fruit borers bore into fruits, making them unmarketable. They affect crops like tomatoes, brinjal, and okra.

• Shot Borer: Shot borers create tiny holes in the bark and bore into the wood, causing dieback. They are found in crops like coffee and tea.

• Pod Borer: Pod borers bore into pods, causing premature drop and poor seed quality. They affect crops like pigeon pea and chickpea.

• Bollworm: Bollworms bore into cotton bolls, reducing yield and fiber quality. They primarily affect cotton.

• Fruit Fly: Fruit flies lay eggs in fruits, and the larvae feed inside, causing rotting. They affect mangoes, guavas, and citrus.

• Root Damaging - White Grub and Termite: White grubs feed on roots, causing wilting and plant death, while termites tunnel into roots and stems, leading to weakened plants. They affect crops like sugarcane and maize.

Sap Suckers (Sucking Pests)

Sap suckers feed on plant sap by piercing plant tissues, which can lead to reduced plant vigor, transmission of diseases, and distorted growth.

White Fly: White flies suck sap from leaves, causing yellowing and sooty mold growth. They damage crops like cotton, tomato, and okra.

Thrips: Thrips scrape and suck the sap from leaves and flowers, causing silvery patches and deformities. They affect crops like chili, onion, and garlic.

Aphids: Aphids suck sap from tender shoots and leaves, causing curling and yellowing. They damage crops like cabbage, mustard, and potato.

Jassids: Jassids suck sap from leaves, causing yellowing and curling. They are commonly found in cotton and brinjal.

Mealy Bug: Mealy bugs suck sap from plant parts, leading to stunted growth and sooty mold. They affect crops like grapes, papaya, and citrus.

Preventive Measures from Insect Attacks

Effective pest management is crucial for maintaining healthy crops and ensuring high yields. Here are some preventive measures to protect crops from insect attacks:

• Cultural Control: Cultural control involves modifying farming practices to reduce pest populations. Techniques like crop rotation, intercropping, and proper field sanitation disrupt pest life cycles and eliminate habitats. Adjusting planting and harvesting times to avoid peak pest periods can also minimize infestations.

• Mechanical Control: Mechanical control uses physical methods to remove or exclude pests. This includes handpicking insects, using traps, and employing barriers like nets and row covers. Regular monitoring and timely intervention, such as soil tillage to destroy insect eggs and larvae, are essential practices.

• Organic Control: Organic control relies on natural methods and biological agents. Introducing beneficial insects like ladybugs, using neem oil and other botanical extracts, and enhancing soil health through composting and mulching are effective strategies. Companion planting and encouraging biodiversity also support organic pest control efforts.

Curative Measures from Insect Attacks

Curative measures from insect attacks involve the strategic use of chemical insecticides to mitigate pest infestations swiftly and effectively. By employing targeted chemical pesticides, farmers can directly combat invasive insects that threaten crop health. These chemicals are applied to affected areas or crops, disrupting pest life cycles and reducing population numbers. In India, agricultural practices often rely on specific insecticides tailored to combat prevalent pests like aphids, bollworms, and whiteflies, ensuring minimal crop damage and optimal yield. Integrated with other pest management strategies, chemical insecticides play a crucial role in safeguarding agricultural productivity and maintaining food security across diverse farming landscapes.

What Are Insecticides?

Insecticides are substances designed to eliminate or control insects. They are essential for safeguarding crops, plants, and stored food from insect harm. These chemicals, which are often referred to when discussing insecticides, can be applied in various ways, such as spraying or soil treatment. Available in forms like pest control liquids, powders, and granules, agriculture insecticides need to be used correctly to maintain plant health and achieve optimal yields.

Difference Between Insecticide and Pesticide

Insecticides and pesticides are both essential tools in agriculture and pest management, but they serve different purposes:

• Insecticides: These are a specific type of pesticide designed to target and kill insects. Insecticides are used to control insect pests that can damage crops, plants, and stored food. They come in various forms, including sprays, powders, and granules.
• Pesticides: This is a broad term that encompasses any substance used to kill, repel, or control pests. Pests can include insects, weeds, fungi, rodents, and other organisms that can harm plants, animals, or human health. Agriculture pesticides for plants include insecticides, herbicides (for weeds), fungicides (for fungi), rodenticides (for rodents), and more.

In summary, all insecticides are pesticides, but not all pesticides are insecticides. Insecticides specifically target insects, while pest control chemicals can target a wide range of pests.

Uses of Insecticides

Let’s have a look at the uses of insecticides:

• Insecticides are essential for protecting crops from pests that consume foliage, roots, and stems, ensuring crops remain suitable for use.
• Widespread use of insecticides has significantly reduced crop losses compared to pre-insecticide eras.
• Biological controls, such as natural predators, are insufficient on their own, necessitating insecticides for reliable crop protection.
• Organic farming also relies on approved insecticides to maintain crop quality and prevent insect damage.

Different Types of Insecticides Used in Agriculture

Insecticides are chemicals used to control or kill insects. They come in various types, each with a specific mode of action and target pests.

1. Contact Insecticides: These kill insects on contact. They are sprayed directly onto pests or plants. Contact insecticide example: Pyrethroids, such as permethrin, are effective against a wide range of insects, including mosquitoes and flies.

2. Systemic Insecticides: These are absorbed by plants and transported throughout their tissues. Insects ingest the insecticide when they feed on the plant. Systemic insecticide example: Imidacloprid is used to control aphids, whiteflies, and other sap-sucking insects.

3. Ingested Insecticides: These must be eaten by the insect to be effective. They are often used in bait form. Examples of insecticides: Boric acid, used to control ants and cockroaches, is mixed with food attractants to entice pests to consume it.

4. Natural Insecticides: Derived from natural sources, these are considered safer for the environment. Pesticides examples: Neem oil, extracted from the neem tree, is effective against a variety of pests, including aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies.

5. Biological Insecticides: These involve the use of natural predators or pathogens to control insect populations. Example: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterium used to control caterpillars and larvae of various insect species.

Each type of insecticide has its unique application and is chosen based on the specific pest problem, crop type, and environmental considerations.

How to Choose the Best Insecticide for Your Crop?

Selecting an effective insecticide for plants involves several key steps.

• Accurately identify the pest causing damage to the crop. Different pests require different treatments and pesticides, so identifying pest or damaging symptoms is crucial.

• Next, consult with our Krushi doctors by chat through BharatAgri application to understand which insecticides are most effective for that specific pest and crop.

• Consider factors such as the mode of action of insecticides and residual activity. Always choose such insecticides that are specifically labeled for infected crop to ensure safety and efficacy.

• Check the recommended dosage and application method on the product label, and calculate the amount needed based on area.

• It's also essential to rotate insecticides with different active ingredients to prevent pest resistance.

• Finally, prioritize products from reputable brands to ensure quality and reliability. By following these steps, you can effectively protect your crops.

Top Insecticides Available in the Market

• FMC Coragen Insecticide: Contains Chlorantraniliprole, used at 60 ml per acre, applied via foliar spray, targeting caterpillars like fruit borer, caterpillars and shoot borer.

• Nagarjuna Profex Super Insecticide: Combines Profenofos and Cypermethrin, applied at 400 ml per acre through spraying, effective against aphids, thrips, Bollworm and caterpillars.

• Syngenta Alika Insecticide: A ZC formulation with Lambda-cyhalothrin and Thiamethoxam, used at 80-160 ml per acre via spraying, targeting aphids, leafhoppers, whiteflies, and stem borers.

• Bayer Oberon Insecticide: Contains Spiromesifen, applied at 100-200 ml per acre through foliar spraying, effective against mites, whiteflies, and sucking pests.

• Tata Rallis Tafgor Dimethoate 30% EC Insecticide: Contains Dimethoate, applied at 250-500 ml per acre via spraying, effective against aphids, thrips, and mites.

• Bayer Regent Ultra Insecticide: Based on Fipronil 0.6 GR, applied at 4 kg per acre through soil application, targeting termites, stem borers, and soil pests.

• Dhanuka Fax Insecticide: Contains Fipronil, applied at 40-80 ml per acre via foliar spray, effective against termites, stem borers, and beetles.

• Dhanuka Superkiller Insecticide: Features Cypermethrin, applied at 100-250 ml per acre through spraying, controls bollworms, leafhoppers, and beetles.

• Dow Delegate Insecticide: Contains Spinetoram, used at 60-120 ml per acre via foliar spray, effective against caterpillars, fruit flies, and leaf miners.

• Dhanuka Super D Insecticide: Combines systemic and contact action, applied at 400 ml per acre via spraying, targeting aphids, whiteflies, and mites.

How to Use Insecticides?

Using insecticides properly is crucial for maximizing their efficacy while ensuring the safety of crops, the environment, and human health. Here’s a guide on how to use insecticides with growth promoters and nutrients, along with safe application steps:

1. Read the Label: Always start by reading the insecticide label for specific instructions on dosage, application methods, and safety precautions.

2. Mixing with Growth Promoters and Nutrients: Combining insecticides with growth promoters and nutrients can enhance crop health and resilience. However, ensure compatibility:

• Growth Promoters: Mix insecticides with growth promoters in the recommended ratios to stimulate plant growth while controlling pests.

• Nutrients: Integrate insecticides with nutrient solutions to provide balanced nutrition and protect plants from pest damage.

1. Safe Application Steps:

• Protective kit: Wear an appropriate Safety kit, including gloves, masks, and goggles, to prevent direct contact with chemicals.

• Right Time: Apply insecticides during cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late afternoon, to minimize evaporation and maximize absorption.

• Correct Dosage: Use the recommended dosage to avoid over-application, which can harm beneficial insects and lead to pest resistance.

• Uniform Coverage: Ensure thorough coverage of the plant canopy, focusing on the underside of leaves where pests often reside.

• Avoid Drift: Use low-pressure nozzles to minimize drift and protect non-target areas.

• Post-Application Care: Wash equipment thoroughly after use and dispose of any leftover chemicals according to local regulations.

By following these steps and integrating insecticides with growth promoters and nutrients, you can effectively manage pests while promoting healthy crop growth and ensuring safety.

Why Choose BharatAgri for Online Shopping?

1. Personal advisory for selecting the best and required products: Receive expert guidance from our Krushi Doctors, who provide personalized recommendations based on your specific agricultural needs. Their tailored advice ensures you choose the most effective and necessary products for your farming requirements.

2. Genuine products: Shop with confidence, knowing that we offer 100% original and high-quality agricultural inputs. Our commitment to authenticity guarantees that you receive only the best products for your crops.

3. Free delivery: Enjoy the convenience of hassle-free shopping with our free doorstep delivery service. We make sure your agricultural inputs reach you quickly and without any additional cost.

4. Affordable rates: Access premium agricultural products at highly competitive and affordable prices. We strive to provide cost-effective solutions to help you achieve better yields and profitability.

5. Easy ordering: Experience a smooth and user-friendly online ordering process. Our platform is designed to make purchasing agricultural inputs simple and straightforward, saving you time and effort.

6. Call assistance: Benefit from our dedicated customer support team available for any inquiries or assistance. Whether you need help with product selection or have questions about your order, our team is here to support you every step of the way.

Conclusion

• Expert Guidance: BharatAgri's Krushi Doctors provide personal advisory to help farmers for their specific crop needs, enhancing productivity and yield.

• Effective Pest Control: Understanding the types of pests and their feeding habits is crucial for selecting the appropriate insecticides, ensuring targeted and efficient pest management.

• Preventive and Curative Measures: Employing cultural, mechanical, organic, and chemical control of pest methods helps protect crops from pest attacks and maintain healthy growth.

• Top Insecticides: Utilizing top-rated insecticides, such as FMC Coragen, Syngenta Alika, and Bayer Oberon, ensures effective pest control products and crop protection.

• Safe Application: Proper usage and mixing of insecticides with growth promoters and nutrients, along with safe application practices, maximize efficacy while ensuring environmental and human safety.