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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Southern Insect Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #368878
Research Project: Integrated Insect Pest and Resistance Management on Corn, Cotton, Sorghum, Soybean, and Sweet Potato

Location: Southern Insect Management Research

Title: Management of economically important insect pests of millet

Author
item GAHUKAR, R.T. - Arag Biotech
item Reddy, Gadi V.P.

Submitted to: Journal of Integrated Pest Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2019
Publication Date: 9/16/2019
Citation: Gahukar, R., Reddy, G.V. 2019. Management of economically important insect pests of millet. Journal of Integrated Pest Management. 10(1):28. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmz026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmz026

Interpretive Summary: Millets are a sustainable food for economically poor people in rural areas and are also appreciated by urban populations for their rich mineral and vitamin content. In recent years, millet production has increased. Increasing market demand for millet has encouraged farmers to cultivate millet either by itself or intercropped with legumes. In fact, millets are underutilized in developing countries, where food security is becoming increasingly important with a rising human population. In addition, millets are resilient crops, making them appropriate for mitigating the agricultural effects of drought and climate change and solving nutritional deficiencies in rural areas. The millet crop is damaged by about 150 insect pests. This paper reviews and describes about various insect pests and its control options available.

Technical Abstract: Grain of various species of millet is a staple food of rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian sub-continent and China. In addition, millet is used as poultry and cattle feed in the USA, and the foliage is fodder for cattle in India. The crop is damaged by at least 150 insect pests during its growth and development. Although the current status of all these pests is not known, shoot flies, stem borers, leaf-sucking, and the panicle-attacking insects are considered economically important. Control measures include the application of synthetic pesticides (as both seed treatment and foliar applications) and cultural methods (timing of planting and field sanitation). Host plant resistance (screening of genotypes and breeding of pest-tolerant/resistant cultivars), and biological control (conservation of natural enemies and periodical releases of the larval parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor) have received much attention in recent years. Integrating available pest control options has been recommended, along with further adoption of new crop cultivation technologies by small and resource-poor farmers.