Manage Insects on Your Farm - Principal Insect Predators

Principal Insect Predators

Spiders. Spiders are among the most neglected and least understood of predators. They rely on a complex diet of prey and can have a strong stabilizing influence on them. Because spiders are generalists and tend to kill more prey than they actually consume, they limit their preys’ initial bursts of growth.

Many spiders live in crop canopies but most inhabit the soil surface and climb plants. Fields with either living plants or residue as soil cover tend to harbor diverse and abundant spider populations. Up to 23 spider families have been documented in cotton and 18 species have been tallied in apples. Because such diverse populations of spiders remain relatively constant, they maintain tolerable levels of their associated prey without extinguishing them.

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Some Agronomic practice for castor seeds farming 1

1. Preparation of the field Plough two-three times with country or mould board plough. 2. Application of Organic Manures Spread 12.5 t/ha of FYM or compost evenly on the main field before last ploughing and incorporate in to soil by working a country plough. Apply 30 kg sulphur/ ha through gypsum at the time of last ploughing for higher castor yield. NOTE: Do not leave FYM or compost exposed to sunlight as nutrients will be lost. 3. SEED RATE Adopt a seed rate of 10 kg/ha for varieties and 5 kg/ha for hybrid. 4. SPACING Adopt the following spacing. Rainfed situation Irrigated situation Varieties 90 cm x 60 cm 90 cm x 90 cm Hybrids 120 cm x 90 cm 150 cm x 120 cm In irrigated conditions, for clay soils wider spacing of 150 x 150 cm can also be adopted. For TMV 5 short duration variety 60 x 30 cm may be adopted. 5. APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS Apply NPK fertilizers basally as per soil te...

Organic Pest and Disease Control for Castor Crops in Nigeria.

Nigeria offers a diverse agro-ecological environment suitable for castor bean cultivation. However, like in other regions, pests and diseases can pose significant challenges. Here are some organic methods to manage these issues: Pest Control * Crop Rotation: Rotating castor with non-host crops can disrupt the life cycle of soil-borne pests. * Intercropping: Planting castor beans with crops like garlic or onions can repel certain pests. * Natural Predators: Encouraging beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps can help control pests. * Neem Oil: Extracted from the neem tree, this oil is a potent natural insecticide with fungicidal properties. * Insecticidal Soap: A solution of water and potassium hydroxide can be used to control soft-bodied insects like aphids. * Physical Removal: Manually removing pests like caterpillars can be effective for small-scale farmers. * Traps: Using pheromone or light traps can help ...

Buy Indian Brown Variety Castor Seeds for Planting in Nigeria and across Africa. (Premium Quality)

The following are a list of Indian brown hybrid Castor seeds varieties that are tested and are recommended for farmers in sub Saharan Africa. Maharaja: Red stem, Capsule semi-spiny, Double bloom, Long medium thick spikes, bold seed, 12-15 productive branches, high resistance to wilt diseases, insect attack less, very high seed yield, maturity of first spike 105-110 days, Total duration 210-220 days, 49.5% oil content. Raja – 5: Stem colour red, capsules spiny, double bloom, long compact spikes, bold and heavy seeds, 14-16 effective branches, tolerant to wilt diseases, tolerant to sucking pests, seed yield very high, maturity of first spike 110-115 days, total duration 220-225 days. 48. 4 % oil content. Biogene – 5: Red stem with double bloom, spiny capsules, long and compact spikes, high branches, medium size seeds, resistant to wilt, tolerant to sucking pests, high seed yield, maturity of first spike 100-105 days, total duration of crop 195-200 days, 49. 0 % oi...

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