author(s)
Tarun Kumar, SPS Tomar, Pradyumn Singh, NKS Bhadauria and NS Bhadauria

abstract
Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] is a unique oilseed crop with high nutritional value, providing 43 percent protein and 20 percent edible oil. The crop is infested by more than 275 insect pests on different plant parts. Amongst these girdle beetles, Obereopsis brevis and stem fly Melanagromyza sojae (Zehnt.) are the prominent pests of the soybean crop. During Kharif 2017, stem fly Melanagromyza sojae (Zehnt.) and girdle beetle, Obereopsis brevis (Swed.) were recorded as major stem borers infesting on soybean crop. Observation on infestation of girdle beetle and stem fly were recorded weekly interval from germination to till harvesting of the crop. Stem fly infested soybean crop throughout the crop season but initially it’s infestation was low and reached its peak in the last week of September 2017. The infestation of stem fly started in 1^st week of August, 2017 at 28 DAG with 18 percent plant infestation and 1.35 percent stem tunneling. Plant infestation by the stem fly was continued up to harvest of the crop. Infestation abruptly increased and reached up to 78 percent in the last week of September with highest stem tunneling (48.40%). The stem fly infested almost every plant (90%) in first week of September 2017. The stem tunneling was caused by maggot of stem fly. It entered the stem through the leaf petiole and bored up and down wards. Reddish colour tunnel was observed in all the affected plants. The infestation of girdle beetle started in 2^nd week of August, when crop was 35 days old with 3.08 percent plant infestation. The infestation caused by the adult of girdle beetle was initially low. However, number of infested plants were slowly increased and reached to 9.20 and 15 percent in 4^th week of August and last week of September 2017. There was a further decrease in infestation in 2^nd week of September, having 15.0 percent plant damage. Similar, a decreasing trend in plant infestation continued in the month of September.