Top Borer:

Causal Organism: Scirpophaga excerptalis 

• Waterlogging favours moth attack.
• Severe yield loss and quality deterioration occurs due to top borer.
• Depending upon the incidence level yield loss may be up to 20-30%.

Symptoms:

• Larva first tunnels into the midrib of the leaves and causes a white streak which later turns reddish brown resulting in dead heart formation.
• Dead heart when formed is reddish brown, appears charred and cannot be easily pulled out.
• In tillering phase of the crop, the attacked shoots die, side shoots (tillers) develop producing a bunchy top appearance.