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Cereals are known as staple food and the important source of calories and protein. Among all the insect pests of cereals, shoot fly takes first place in damaging the crop by attacking central shoot of the plant and they cause symptoms of “dead heart”. Number of management practices are reported for shoot fly but they are not effective. Soil application of either carbofuran 3G or phorate 10G gave better results but these are not economically faceable for poor farmers. Shoot fly has very short life cycle and it attack the crop immediately after germination, moreover the crop will be highly susceptible for shoot fly upto 25 days. The insect has capacity to attack the side shoots which have emerged due to dead heart formation.

Key words: Shoot fly management, dead hearts, shoot fly hosts