EFFECT OF SOWING DATES ON THE INCIDENCE OF MUSTARD APHID, LIPAPHIS ERYSIMI KALTENBACH IN MUSTARD
1Entomology Section, National Research Centre on Rapeseed–Mustard, Sewar,
Bharatpur- 321 303 (Rajasthan).
2AICRP on Post Harvest Technology, College of Technology and Engineering, MPUAT,
Udaipur-313 001 (Rajasthan).
Y.P. SINGH1 AND K.C. SHARMA2
Two varieties of mustard viz., Varuna and Rohini were evaluated for aphid incidence, yield and per cent oil content sown at 7 days interval from 1st October to 3rd December for three consecutive years i.e. 2001-2002, 2002-2003 and 2003- 2004 in Rabi season. It was found that the early sown crop on 1st and 8th October had no/negligible aphid infestation. The crop sown on later dates had the higher aphid infestation as compared to early sowing dates. The crop sown by middle of October escaped the severity of aphid attack since the peak infestation is reached after the crucial growing and flowering period is over and plant become hard resulting in higher yield irrespective of varietals differences.