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Sap-sucking pests in chilli (whitefly, aphids, jassids)

Early-stage chilli is attacked by a sap-sucker complex of three principal species: the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii and the leafhopper Amrasca biguttula biguttula. The economic significance of this complex comes both from direct feeding damage and from the role of B. tabaci in vectoring chilli leaf curl begomoviruses.

Identification and symptoms

TNAU documents direct feeding damage as chlorosis, leaf-fall and honey-dew with sooty mould on lower leaves. Whitefly populations on leaf undersides and curling of newer leaves are the key field markers. Vector transmission of chilli leaf curl virus (Disease Chilli Leaf Curl Virus) is the dominant indirect damage pathway.

Host crops / Life cycle

The three principal species are Bemisia tabaci (whitefly), Aphis gossypii (cotton aphid) and Amrasca biguttula biguttula (cotton jassid / leafhopper). All have wide host ranges across solanaceous and malvaceous crops in India.

Damage and economic impact

Direct yield damage is moderate but the indirect damage from begomovirus transmission (Chilli Leaf Curl Virus) can be very large; the whitefly therefore drives both pest and disease management decisions in Indian chilli.

Management (cultural, biological, chemical)

  • Monitoring — yellow sticky traps for whitefly and aphids
  • Chemistry — neonicotinoids (imidacloprid) for whitefly; acephate or thiamethoxam for jassids; rotated through the IPM spray schedule (Practice Chilli Spray Schedule)
  • Botanical — neem-oil sprays as part of the low-residue programme
  • Biocontrol — releases of Encarsia spp. against whitefly
  • Host resistance — leaf-curl-tolerant hybrids such as BASF Armour (Chilli Basf Armour) and ICAR-IIHR Arka Yashasvi / Arka Tejasvi reduce the consequences of vector pressure

Disease Chilli Leaf Curl Virus, Chilli Leaf Curl Virus, Pest Thrips Parvispinus Black Thrips, Practice Chilli Spray Schedule, Chilli Basf Armour

References

  1. Whitefly Bemisia tabaci. TNAU Agritech crop protection page.
  2. Aphid-induced defences in chilli affect whitefly preferences. Nature Scientific Reports.