SEASONAL INCIDENCE OF MAJOR SUCKING INSECT PESTS OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGEA L.)
Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology, Udaipur – 313001
H.S. CHOUDHARY, HEMANT SWAMI, O.P. AMETAAND A. MORDIA
An field experiment to study the incidence and losses caused by the insect pests of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) was conducted at the instructional farm of Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur during kharif -2014. Incidenceof aphid, Aphis craccivora ,Koch; jassid, Empoasca kerri Pruthi; thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood and tobacco caterpillar,Spodoptera litura Fab. were recorded throughout the growing season. The incidence of aphids, jassids and thrips commenced in the second week of August. Population of aphids, jassids and thrips touched their peak in the third, second and fourth week of September with a mean population of 8.60 aphid, 7.50 jassid and 4.0 thrips/3 leaves, respectively. The incidence of tobacco caterpillar, S. litura commenced in the first week of September and peaked in the fourth week of September (1.25 larvae/plant) Only the tobacco caterpillar exhibited negative and significant correlation with relative humidity.