Wheat Pests

Pests of National Significance

Insect and mite pests

• Termite: Odontotermis obesus Rambur, Microtermes obesi Holmgren (Termitidae: Isoptera)
• Wheat aphid: Sitobian avenae (F.), S. miscanthi Takahashi, (Aphididae: Hemiptera)
• Army worm/cut worm: Mythimna separata Walker (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)
• American pod borer: Helicoverpa armigera Hubner (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)
• Brown mite: Petrobia latens Mull. (Acarina: Tetranychidae)
• Pink stem borer: Sesamia inferens Walker (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)
• Shootfly: Atherigona naqvii Steyskal and A. oryzae Mall (Muscidae: Diptera)

Diseases

• Brown rust: Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici Eriks. & Henn
• Yellow/Stripe rust: Puccinia striiformis var. striiformis Westend
• Black rust: Puccinia graminis tritici Pers
• Loose smut: Ustilago tritici (Pers.) E. Rostr.
• Karnal bunt: Tilletia indica Mitra
• Powdery mildew: Blumeria graminis (DC.) Speer
• Helminthosporium leaf spot, Helminthosporium spp., Cochliobolus sativus (S. Ito & Kurib.) Drechsler ex Dastur Cochliobolus sativus (Helminthosporium sativum) Syn. Bipolaris sorokiniana, Drechslera sorokiniana
• Foot rot: Pythium graminicolum Subraman and P. arrhenomanes Drechsler
• Alternaria leaf blight: Alternaria triticina Prasada & Prabhu
• Flag smut: Urocystis agropyri (G. Preuss) J. Schröt.
• Hill bunt: Tilletia tritici (syn. Tilletia caries) Bjerk. Wint. and T. laevis (syn. T. foetida). Kuhn
• Head Scab/Fusarium head blight: Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, Gibberella zeae (Schwein.) Petch

Nematodes

• Seed gall Nematode, Anguina tritici, Tundu or yellow ear rot: Rathaybacter tritici + Anguina tritici (Tylenchida: Tylenchidae)
• Cereal cyst Nematode, Heterodera avenae (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae:)
• Root knot Nematode, Meloidogyne spp.

Weeds

Broadleaf

• Lambs quarter: Chenopodium spp. L. (Chenopodiaceae)
• Scarlet pimpernel: Anagallis arvensis L. (Primulaceae)
• Sweet clover: Melilotus indica (L.) All. (Fabaceae)
• Fine leaf fumitory: Fumaria parviflora Lam. (Fumariaceae)
• Corn spurry: Spergula arvensis L. (Caryophyllaceae)
• Field bindweed: Convolvulus arvensis L. (Convolvulaceae)
• Onion weed: Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. (Liliaceae)
• Swine cress: Coronopus didymus (L.) Sm. (Brassicaceae)
• Jangali Palak: Rumex dentatus L. (Polygonaceae)
• Yellow pea: Lathyrus aphaca L. (Fabaceae)
• Thistle weed: Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. Asteraceae

Grasses

• Wild oat: Avena ludoviciana (L.) Nees. (Poaceae)
• Canary grass: Phalaris minor Retz. (Poaceae)
• Bluegrass: Poa annua L. (Poaceae) 4.16 Rye grass: Lolium spp. (Poaceae)

Sedge

• Purple nut sedge, Cyperus rotundus L. Cyperaceae

Rodent pests

• Lesser bandicoot: Bandicota bengalensis(Gray)(throughout India)
• Black Rat: Rattus rattus L.
• Field mouse: Mus booduga (Gray) (throughout India)
• Soft furred field rat, Millardia meltada (Gray) (throughout India)
• Indian Gerbil, Tatera indica (Hardwicke) (throughout India)

Pest of Regional Significance

Insect pests

• Wheat thrips: Anaphothrips favicinctus, Haplothrips tritici (Kurdjumov) (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)
• Ghujhia Weevil: Tanymecus indicus Faust (Curculionidae: Coleoptera) (Uttar Pradesh)

Disease

• Seedling blight: Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn and Fusarium sp. (Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu)

IPM for Wheat

To know the IPM practices for Wheat, click here.

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