🌿 Introduction
When you spot chewed stems, hollowed buds, or missing fruit tips — you’re likely dealing with caterpillars. These silent night-time feeders can eat through your yield in just a few days, especially in the early bud-to-fruit stage.
At Kurela Agro Farms, we’ve battled caterpillars for years. From fruit borers to stem-chewing larvae, we’ve tried both organic and chemical approaches to see what works best. In this guide, we share our real-world practices, spray intervals, and prevention tips — no fluff, only what works.
🔍 What Type of Caterpillars Affect Dragon Fruit?
The most common culprits include:
Fruit borer (Helicoverpa species) – Enters the fruit from the top and hollows it out
Stem borer – Chews into tender growing shoots and tips
Looper caterpillars – Feed on soft skin or bud regions, especially at night
They usually appear during:
1st year of plantation and Vegetative growth
Early flowering and bud formation
Post-monsoon when humidity is high and foliage is dense
⚠️ Why You Should Take Them Seriously
Feed during the night — hard to detect in daylight
Chew fruit skins, stems, and damage internal pulp
Invite fungal infections after feeding wounds
Can wipe out a harvest zone in less than a week if ignored
🛡️ Best Practices for Prevention & Early Detection
Regular observation, good hygiene, and proper lighting can prevent 70% of outbreaks.
✅ Farm Hygiene & Monitoring
Use solar or yellow light traps to attract adult moths
Install pheromone traps (Heli Lure) in flowering season
Collect and destroy caterpillar-affected fruits or shoots
Install a morning and evening scouting routine
✅ Natural Resistance
Maintain balanced nutrition (especially Calcium + Boron)
Encourage birds, frogs, and wasps — natural predators
Avoid dense overlapping shoots — prune to allow light and airflow
Available Solutions
🧪 Chemical Control Options
(Only when population is high or in advanced infection)
🧴 1. Emamectin Benzoate (5% SG)
Dosage: 0.3g per litre
Interval: Every 7–10 days
Target: Systemic caterpillar paralysis & death
Use with a spreader for better coverage
💧 2. Lambda-Cyhalothrin (5% EC)
Dosage: 0.5 ml per litre
Interval: Every 10 days, alternate with other molecule
Avoid during heavy flowering
🌿 3. Spinosad or Indoxacarb (Organic-Approved Synthetic)
Dosage: 1 ml per litre
Interval: Every 7–10 days
Mild on pollinators, effective on early larval stages
🚫 Use Guidelines:
Spray after scouting, ideally in the evening
Don’t repeat the same insecticide more than 2 consecutive times
Stop chemical spray 10–12 days before harvest
✅ Alongside: Install pheromone traps, light traps, and maintain clean borders around the field
🌱 Organic Control Options
(Use when aiming for chemical-free or ZBNF farming)
🌿 1. Neem Oil + Pongamia Oil Blend
Neem oil: 3–5 ml per litre
Pongamia oil: 2 ml per litre
Liquid soap: 1 ml per litre
Spray interval: Every 5–7 days at sunset
Repels feeding and disrupts growth cycles
🧄 2. Garlic + Chilli Fermented Spray
100g garlic + 5 green chillies + 10g jaggery → ferment 2 days
Dilute 1:10 with water and spray
Interval: Every 7–10 days in active phase
🦠 3. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt Liquid Bio-Pesticide)
2–3 ml per litre
Spray late evening or early morning
Bt bacteria infects and paralyzes caterpillar gut
Interval: Every 7–10 days until control is achieved
🌾 4. Cow Urine + Neem Decoction
1L cow urine + 20 crushed neem leaves → boil & cool
Dilute in 10L water
Interval: Every 7–10 days, spray on stem and base
🔁 Organic Rotation Schedule
| Week | Organic Spray 1 | Organic Spray 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neem + Pongamia oil mix | — |
| 2 | Bt Spray | Garlic-Chilli Spray |
| 3 | Cow urine + neem decoction | Neem oil (repeat) |
| 4 | Bt Spray | — |
💡 Rotate every week during bud-to-fruit stage. Spray in early morning or after sunset.
🔁 Kurela Agro Farms’ Tried & Tested Caterpillar Protocol
| Week | Application |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Bt Spray + Neem Oil Blend |
| Week 2 | Garlic-Chilli Ferment + Emamectin (only if needed) |
| Week 3 | Spinosad + Neem Pongamia Combo |
| Week 4 | Bt Spray (or repeat Garlic mix if mild presence) |
✅ Alongside: Install pheromone traps, light traps, and maintain clean borders around the field
🌟 Real Advice from the Field The biggest mistake we see: farmers wait for visible chewing or fallen buds before spraying. By then, the caterpillars have already burrowed inside. Instead, start prevention
📢 Our Promise at Kurela Agro Farms
We don’t just sell plants — we walk the journey with you. Our protocols, support, and field-tested advice are trusted by hundreds of farmers across India.
If you found this guide helpful, please:
Share it with your farmer groups
Contact us for plant orders, layout support, or complete guidance on sustainable pest control
📞 +91 8866667502 / 8866667503
🌐 www.kurelaagrofarms.com
“Healthy plants, profitable harvests, and confident farmers — that’s our true yield.”
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