BIO-INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT OF MAJOR INSECT PESTS OF CAULIFLOWER
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Date
2018
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
MPUAT, Udaipur
Abstract
BIO-INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT OF MAJOR INSECT PESTS OF
CAULIFLOWER
V.S.L. Saranya* Dr. B.S. Rana The present investigation entitled, “Bio-intensive management of major insect pests
of cauliflower” was carried out at the Horticulture Farm and in the Department of
Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur, during two crop seasons
i.e., rabi, 2015 – 2016 and rabi, 2016 – 2017, with the following objectives of recording
the seasonal incidence of major insect pests and their natural enemies in cauliflower,
studying the effect of different crop combinations on the relative density and diversity of
major insect pests and their associated natural enemies and evaluating the effect of different
bio-pesticides on the major insect pests and their associated natural enemies.
Aphids, diamondback moth (DBM), flea beetles and painted bug were recorded as
the major insect pests of cauliflower; and aphidiphagous parasitoids, predatory
coccinellids, syrphids and spiders were recorded as the key natural enemies associated with
these major insect pests, during both the seasons of the investigation. Infestation by aphids
and DBM, initiated in the month of December; that of flea beetles and painted bug initiated
in the month of January; and the major insect pests reached their peak mean populations
during February-March each year. Similarly, the occurrence of the four key natural
enemies of the pestiferous insects, initiated during the months of December and January;
however, the maximum population of aphidiphagous parasitoids and syrphids was noticed
in February; that of predatory coccinellids and spiders was noticed in March, during both
the crop seasons. The host-parasitoid relationship of aphids with aphidiphagous parasitoids
as well as, the predator-prey relationship of coccinellids and syrphids with aphids was
significantly positive during both the crop seasons.
*Research Scholar, Department of Entomology, RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur (Raj.)
**Prof. & Head, Department of Entomology, RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur (Raj.)
The lowest incidence of aphids and DBM was recorded in the crop combination,
cauliflower + tomato (as intercrop); while, least number of flea beetles was recorded in
cauliflower + onion (as intecrop) and cauliflower + onion (as intercrop) + marigold (as
border crop) combinations alternatively during both the seasons; and that of painted bugs
was recorded in cauliflower + tomato (as intercrop) + marigold (as border crop) crop
combination. During both the years, aphids were relatively abundant over all other major
insect pests, while DBM was the second most abundant pest under all the crop
combinations and the maximum diversity (species richness) of all the four major insect
pests was recorded in cauliflower + sunflower (as border crop) crop combination. With
regard to natural enemies, both aphidiphagous parasitoids and syrphids, were noticed more
in cauliflower + onion (as intercrop) + marigold (as border crop) and cauliflower +
marigold (as border crop) crop combinations; while, the maximum number of predatory
coccinellids was noticed in cauliflower + sunflower (as a border crop) combination; and
spiders were noticed more in cauliflower + onion (as intercrop) + marigold (as border crop)
combination, during both the years of study. Similarly, aphidiphagous parasitoids were
relatively abundant than the other natural enemies; while, predatory coccinellids and
syrphids were next in abundance. The maximum species richness of the associated natural
enemies was recorded in the crop combination, cauliflower + sunflower (as border crop).
The maximum percent population reduction of aphids and flea beetles was recorded
in the treatment of A. indica oil (1%); while, the maximum population reduction of DBM
was recorded for flubendiamide 480 SC (200 ml/ ha) and spinosad 45 SC (150 ml/ ha); the
maximum percent population reduction of painted bug was recorded with two sprays of
Beauveria bassiana (1x108 spores/g) during both the crop seasons (rabi, 2015-16 and rabi,
2016-17). No toxic effect was caused to aphidiphagous parasitoids and syrphids due to the
application of bio-pesticides on cauliflower during both the years; however, the life cycle
patterns of predatory coccinellids and spiders were slightly disturbed by the application of
Lecanicillium lecani (1 x 108 spores/ g), neem oil (1%), spinosad 45 SC (150 ml/ ha) and
flubendiamide 480 SC (200 ml/ ha) though the effect was not consistent. During both the
seasons, the maximum yield and cost-benefit ratio were recorded for the treatment with two
sprays of spinosad 45 SC (150 ml/ ha).
Description
BIO-INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT, MAJOR INSECT PESTS, CAULIFLOWER
Keywords
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Citation
Saranya, V.S.L, and Rana B.S.