Plant parts affected

Leaves, stem

Initial diagnosis:

Larvae crawl to the plant whorl and move downward between the folds of the young leaves.

Symptoms:

It cuts the growing tip resulting in wilting of leaf and later drying of the central leaf known as ‘deadheart’. damaged plants produce side tillers which again are infested increasing the population build up.

Damage type:

Deadheart formation leads to the seedling mortality.