Sesame Pests

Pests of National Significance

Insect pests

• Leaf webber or roller and capsule borer: Antigastra catalaunalis Duponchel (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
• Gall fly: Asphondylia sesame Felt (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
• Leaf hopper: Orosius albicinctus Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Diseases

• Phyllody: Phytoplasma like organism
• Dry root rot: Rhizoctonia bataticola Taubenh
• Phytophthora blight: Phytophthora parasitica var. sesame Dastur
• Alternaria blight: Alternaria sesame Kawamura (Mohanty & Behera)

Weeds

Broadleaf

• Pigweed: Amaranthus viridis Hook. F. (Amaranthaceae)
• Swine cress: Coronopus didymus(L.) Sm. (Brassicaceae)
• Black nightshade: Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae)
• False amaranth: Digera arvensis Forssk. (Amaranthaceae)
• Horse purslane: Trianthema portulacastrum L. (Aizoaceae)
• Cock’s comb: Celosia argentea L. (Amaranthaceae)
• Common purselane: Portulaca oleracea L. (Portulacaceae)
• Asthma herb: Euphorbia hirta L. (Euphorbiaceae)

Grasses

• Goose grass: Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertner (Poaceae)
• Rabbit/crow foot grass: Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd (Poaceae)
• Crab grass: Digiteria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. (Poaceae)
• Burmuda grass: Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (Poaceae)

Sedges

• Purplenut sedge: Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae)
• Flat sedge: Cyperus iria L. (Cyperaceae)

Pest of Regional Significance

Insect pests

• Sphinx moth or hawk moth: Acherontia styx Westwood (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)
• Bihar hairy caterpillar: Spilosoma obliqua Walker (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) (Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab)
• Red hairy caterpillar: Amsacta albistriga Walker (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) (Rajasthan)
• Pod bug: Elasmolomus sordidus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)
• Pentatomid bug: Nezara viridula (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
• Cotton aphid: Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Diseases

• Wilt: Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. f. sp. sesame (Maharashtra, Rajasthan)
• Bacterial blight: Xanthomonas campestris Dowson pv. sesame (Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi)
• Powdery mildew: Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Schltdl.) Pollacci, Leveillula taurica(Lév.) G. Arnaud, Erysiphe cichoracearum (DC) (Rajasthan)

Nematode

• Pigeon pea cyst nematode: Heterodera cajani Koshy (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae)

IPM for Sesame

To know the IPM practices for Sesame, click here.

Source: NIPHM and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage