PESTS OF SUNFLOWER :: Major Pests :: Cutworms

6. Cutworms: Agrotis spp. (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)

The cutworms may be serious during March - April in fields where sunflower follows potato. Caterpillars cut the seedlings at the ground level.
Management

                       
1. Sow the crop in ridges to avoid cutworm damage in the germinating seedlings.
           
2. Where flat sowing is practiced, apply 5 L of chlorpyriphos 20EC per ha before sowing. The insecticide should be mixed in 25 kg fine soil and broadcasted uniformly in the field after last ploughing but before planking