Natural Enemies of Turmeric Insect Pests Parasitoids Predators Flowering plants that attract natural enemies/repel pests Natural enemies Attractant/Repellent/Trap plants Shoot borer: • Parasitoids: Bracon sp (larval), myosoma sp (larval), Apanteles sp (larval) , Xanthopimpla sp (larval and pupal) etc., • Predators: Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi, coccinellids, king crow, wasp, dragonfly, spiders, robber fly, reduviid bug, praying mantids, fire ants Entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) of the genus Rhabditis/ Oscheius and Hexamermis sp. • Attractant plants for natural enemies: Carrot family, sunflower family, buckwheat, alfalfa, corn, shrubs (minute pirate bug, lacewing and ladybird beetle). • Nectar rich plants with small flowers i.e. anise, caraway, dill, parsley, mustard, sunflower, buckwheat and cowpea (braconid wasp) • Maintaining hedgerows around the turmeric plantation also helps to maintain a population of ladybird beetle, spiders, etc. • Mulching with green leaves @ 4–4.5 t/acre at the time of planting. It is repeated @ 2 t/acre at 40 and 90 days after planting. • Use of Lantana camara and Vitex negundo as mulch at the time of planting may reduce the infection of shoot borer. • EPN, Rhabditis/Oscheius as biopesticides for management of the shoot borer and other insect pests of turmeric. Leaf roller: • Parasitoids: Apanteles sp, Sympiesis sp, Brachymeria oxodentata • Parasite: Ceromyia sp. • Attractant plants for natural enemies: Carrot family, sunflower family, buckwheat, cowpea, alfalfa, corn, shrubs (Apanteles sp, Sympiesis sp, Brachymeria oxodentata & Ceromyia sp). • Nectar rich plants with small flowers i.e. anise, caraway, dill, parsley, mustard, sunflower, buckwheat and cowpea (Apanteles sp, Sympiesis sp, Brachymeria oxodentata) Rhizome / soft rot: • Incorporation of neem cake and pine needle in the soil. • Different types of cropping systems cropping like maize, chili, brinjal, papaya, cucumber, pumpkin, yam, tree tomato, tapioca and different types of leguminous crops. • Application of oil cakes made from Azadirachta indica, Calophyllum inophyllum, Pongamia glabra, Hibiscus sabdariffa and Brassica campestris • Intercrop turmeric with maize and pineapple. Root-knot nematode: • Intercropping with marigold @ 5:1 • Repellant plants for nematodes: Marigold, Gliricidia, Asparagus, Dahelia etc. • Crop rotation: Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Sesbania, Crotalaria spp., Gaillardia, cluster bean and Desmodium spp., • Border crops: Strips of ryegrass, cover crops and mulch beds (rove beetle) • Soil incorporation of Gliricidia compost, neem seed cake. IPM for Turmeric To know the IPM practices for Turmeric, click here. Source: NIPHM and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage