Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) is one of the important vegetable crops of India. It is eaten as cooked or raw as salad. It is a rich source of Vitamins and has high antioxidant capacity. Area under cabbage cultivation in India is 4 LHa, production is 90.93 LT and productivity is 22.6MT/Ha.
In Nagaland cabbage is grown in an area of 0.81Lha, production is 1.62LT and productivity is 20.0MT/ha (Statistical hand book, 2014).It occupies an important position in the vegetable consumption of Nagaland and is cultivated in almost all homestead gardens as well as in commercial scale. Being a cole crop, the climate of Nagaland is suitable for growing cabbage round the year. Yet, the best time for growing cabbage in Phek district and Nagaland as a whole is during the summer/rainy season as winter is severely dry. This may be attributed to the occurrence of heavy insect pest and diseases during the growing season. High rainfall severely damages the crop due to fungal and bacterial rot.There are several insects infesting cabbage crop ie. Cabbage butterfly, leaf webber, cabbage head borer, cutworm, white fly, Leaf miner etc.
Among them cutworm (Agrotis spp.) is considered to be one of the important insect as they destroy the crop at seedling stage and causes severe loss or total failure of the crop.
Cutworm larvae are stout, soft-bodied, gray or dull brown caterpillars (1-2 inch long) that curl up when at rest or disturbed. They feed at night and burrow into the soil during the day. Adults are dark gray or brown, night-flying moths (1-1/2 inch wingspan) with ragged blotches or stripes on their wings.Most species pass the winter in soil or under garden waste as young larvae. In the spring, as temperatures warm, they become active and begin feeding on plants at night, remaining hidden during the day. The larvae molt several times and when fully grown pupates in the soil (late spring). Within one week moths emerge and begin laying hundreds of eggs mostly on stems and leaves. Management
Nagaland being organic by default, less use of chemicals and inorganic fertilizers has been advocated. Cut worm can be controlled by Soil solarisation with polythene sheet during land preparation. When damaged plants are detected, the cutworms normally can be found near the damaged plant and can be removed by hand. Organic formulations can be used such as Derris indica extract, Neem oil, and Tobacco leaf extract. Training cum demonstration was conducted in different villages of Phek district and it is found that among all the organic formulations, Derris indica extract is the best organic pesticide for cut worm management in Cabbage. It can be applied as soil drenching for two- three times @ 2ml/lt of water after land preparation during sunny day before transplanting of seedlings.
Liza Barua Bharali SMS (Plant Protection) KVK, Phek, Nagaland
