Description:

• Fruit borer infestation in chilli is heaviest during flowering and fruiting, especially in high temperatures.
• Fruit borer is active from March to May and may cause up to 40% yield loss if not controlled.

Damage Symptoms:

• Boreholes in fruits and the dropping of flowers can be seen.
• Infested fruits have darker, sunken spots and are prone to fungal attacks.
• Affected fruits are no longer marketable due to reduced quality.
• Heavy infestation results in yield loss and poor quality of the produce.

Preventive Measures:

• Pheromone traps can be set to detect early infestation.

Control Measures:

• Spray spinosad 45 SC at 0.2 ml/l or emamectin benzoate at 0.4 g/l.
• Neem oil spray at 1% is also effective in the early stages.