An economic threshold on fresh cabbage affected by Plutella xylostella (L.) and Crocidolomia binotalis Z., based on visual estimates of defoliation and a determination of this damage on the marketable yield was developed. An initial survey of unprotected cabbage field for determination of general levels of number of holes caused by feeding of both the lepidopterous pests formed a prerequisite for conducting visual damage threshold experiments. Maintaining a low visual damage threshold of up to 1.0 mean hole (mean of two leaves) on the wrapper leaves, after initial protection of primordia, was found to be an effective alternative in reducing present reliance on weekly or fortnightly sprays for the control of both the pests on cabbage. The possibility of eliminating precupping sprays is supported by the study since the larval populations causing damage to either outer leaves or leaves about to cover the head did not reduce the yield to a significant extent. The use of thresholds based on larval counts of either P. xylostella or C. binotalis failed to give enough lead time during scouting and resulted in loss of marketability.