Whole patches of soybean are stripped down to the veins, leaves look like nets. I see green caterpillars and some that roll the leaves. Spreading across the field. How do I stop the defoliators?
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Leaves stripped to a net of veins with green caterpillars and leaf rolling is a defoliator complex, usually tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera, semiloopers and leaf folders together. Scout early because young larvae are far easier to kill than big ones. For tobacco caterpillar, pheromone traps and removing the egg masses and clustered young larvae by hand from a few leaves break the attack cheaply. Use bird perches across the field. On threshold spray a recommended insecticide and rotate modes of action between rounds, and for Spodoptera an SpltNPV or a recommended diamide works well on younger stages. Avoid blanket pyrethroid sprays that flare whitefly and harm natural enemies. Follow label dose and PHI and confirm the current spray with your KVK or IISR Indore. The crop can tolerate some leaf loss before flowering, so do not panic spray for light feeding.
The Spodoptera egg masses are easy to spot under the leaves, dull brown furry patches. Picking those off early in a few rows saved me one full spray.