jump directly to content.
Principles. Crops. Pests. Control methods Library. Links.
key visual: online information service for Non-chemical Pest Management in the Tropics

Curative Control

Plants in pest control

  1. Powdered hot pepper or powdered ginger.
    Place the powdered hot pepper or powdered ginger around the base of the stems when the cabbage root maggot population is moderate (Ellis; Bradley, 1996: pp. 438-440).

Physical control

  1. Yellow sticky traps are used to catch emerging adults and egg laying females.
  2. Yellow pan traps
    Fill half the yellow pan or basin with soapy water. Place the pan close to the plant but expose enough so that flies can see it. Trapped flies sink and drown because soap breaks the surface tension of the water. The yellow color attracts the pests (Ellis; Bradley, 1996: pp. 277-278).
  3. Row covers
    Root maggot infestations can be prevented by covering the seedbed with a screen covering or fine nylon net placed immediately after seeds are sown. The covering should extend at least 18 cm on either side of the seed row, with the edges buried in the soil (Ellis; Bradley, 1996: pp. 438-440).
  4. Heavy, flexible paper
    A square of heavy, flexible paper measuring 9-12 cm wide placed at the base of each transplant will prevent adult flies from laying eggs near the plant (Ellis; Bradley, 1996: pp. 438-440).
    Make a cut from the edge to the center and make a small hole (in the center). Make sure that the paper will fit around the stem but will remain flat on the ground. During transplanting, place the paper disc on the soil around each plant so that the stem is in the middle of the disc.
  5. Cones made of window screen
    Place screen over individual transplants to prevent attack by root maggots. The advantage of using these covers is that, they could be used again in the following cropping seasons (CABI, 2000).
  6. Plastic
    A small piece of plastic, slit to the middle, wrapped around the plant stem and overlapped, can be taped or covered with soil. Another method makes use of 2 pieces of plastic about 12 inches square, pulled together around the plant from opposite sides and held down with soil (The University of Maine, 2002).

Other methods

Wood ash

If population is moderate, repel moths by mounding wood ashes and diatomaceous earth (D.E.) placed around the base of the stems (Ellis; Bradley, 1996: pp. 438-440).

Other substances

Diatomaceous earth
 to the top        PAN Germany, OISAT; Email oisat@pan-germany.org