Ginger and turmeric shoot borer
Caterpillars bore into the leafy stem, leaving a hole with frass, and the center shoot yellows and dries.
Crops it attacks
Where the damage shows
When to act
In the rainy months, check the clumps weekly for yellow, dried center shoots with a bore hole and frass. Act when more than 1 in 10 clumps shows fresh damage after you have cut out the dead shoots.
What to spray
Active ingredients only, never brands. The IRAC group tells how it works: switch to a different group next time, so the pest does not learn to survive it. Spray only when the damage is worth the cost, and only with products registered with the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority for your crop. Follow the label. The Shopee and Lazada links only show who sells something with that active ingredient, not a recommendation of any seller or product.
How to prevent it
- Each week in the rainy months, cut out shoots with a dry, yellow center and a bore hole, and destroy the larva inside.
- Plant clean, borer free seed rhizomes.
- Keep castor and other host plants of the borer away from ginger and turmeric fields.
- After harvest, collect and burn old stems and leaves.
Natural enemies and biological help
- Egg wasps and small larval wasps attack the borer. Bt on young shoots reaches newly hatched larvae.
Where this comes from
Not sure it is this one?
Many pests look alike. Send a photo to Anee, the smart farm technician in anee.io. She reads it with your crop, its age and the weather, and tells you what it most likely is and what to do first. In Tagalog or English.