Description

• The tobacco caterpillar is a polyphagous pest that attacks several crops, including cauliflower.
• It is most active during warm, humid conditions, particularly during the vegetative and flowering stages of the crop.

Damage Symptoms

• Leaves are skeletonized due to the caterpillar chewing on leaf tissues.
• Large, irregular holes appear on leaves, especially on older ones.
• Severe infestations lead to complete defoliation of plants.
• Young plants may be entirely destroyed, significantly reducing overall yield.

Preventive Measures

• Use pheromone traps to monitor adult moth activity and suppress their population.
• Encourage natural predators such as parasitoid wasps and birds in the field.
• Practice crop rotation and maintain field sanitation by removing weeds that serve as alternate hosts.

Control Measures

• Apply emamectin benzoate 5 SG (0.2 g/l) or chlorpyrifos 20 EC (2 ml/l).