Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(12): 525-534 525 Review Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.612.064 A Review on Insect Pest Complex of Oats (Avena sativa L.) Ritesh Kumar 1* , Ishtiyaq Ahad 1 , Stanzin Dorjey 2 , Uzma Arifie 1 and Sheikh Aafreen Rehman 1 1 Division of Entomology, 2 Division of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Wadura Sopore, 193201, Kashmir, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Introduction Oats rank sixth in the world cereal production statistics following wheat, maize, rice, barley and sorghum. It is an important livestock feed and is a good source of protein, fiber and minerals. This crop is considered to be a rich source of protein, equal to meat, milk, and egg protein. As food oats are mostly preferred in breakfast, moreover it is viewed by consumers as one of the wholesome, healthiest, natural food with the result there is rising global food demand for oats. Out of cereals, the highest amounts of β-glycan are found in barley and oats grains (Ahmad and Zaffar, 2014). It has wider adaptability because of its excellent growth habits, quick regrowth, and better yield potential and provides palatable, succulent and nutritious green fodder (Singh et al., 1989).It is cultivated in Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The total area covered under oats cultivation in the country is about 5 lakh ha. The crop occupies maximum area in Uttar Pradesh (34 per cent), followed by Punjab (20 per cent), Bihar (16 per cent), Haryana (9 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh (6 per cent) (Pandey and Roy, 2011).India ranks first among the major livestock holding countries having about 15% livestock population of the world, however, milk production of our country are about 17%. Total livestock International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 12 (2017) pp. 525-534 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com The oat (Avena sativa L.), is a species of cereal grain grown for human consumption as oatmeal and one of the most common uses is as livestock feed. Winter fodder scarcity is one of the major problems in feeding management for ruminants in India and other country. Some of the improved fodders are introduced at farmer’s level but appropriate technology is not yet established. Moreover there is a risk of fluctuation in the production potential of such fodder due to insect pest and climatic variability across the location. Oats crops are heavily attacked by armyworm, cereal leaf beetle, cutworm, wheat aphid, plant bug, grasshopper, oat thrips, wireworm, cockchafer, fruit fly, and cyst nematode. This review endeavors to piece together all known information about the insect that attacked on oats. Keywords Fodder, Oats, Pest, Fluctuation, Infestation. Accepted: 07 October 2017 Available Online: 10 December 2017 Article Info