Crop diversification for sustainable management of bud worm Hendecasis duplifascialis Hampson of jasmine (Jasminum sambac L.)

Abstract

A field trial was conducted to study the influence of crop diversification through intercropping on the incidence of jasmine budworm, Hendecasis duplifascialis. The results revealed that there was significant reduction in incidence of the pest in intercropped treatments over monocrop of jasmine. Marigold recorded significantly the lowest mean incidence of 15.21 per cent, followed by coriander (16.40 per cent) and gingelly (16.69 per cent)with jasmine as sole crop recorded highest budworm incidence (22.17 per cent). The population of natural enemies viz.,coccinellids, chrysopids, preying mantises and spiders were more recorded in marigold intercropped jasmine with 8.70, 3.60, 4.40 and 5.30 no's/five plantsrespectively. Moreover, the emergence of the larval parasitoids, Bracon brevicornis (3.10 no's/five plants) and Phanerotoma hendecasiella (2.60 no's/ 50 infested buds) were more encountered in jasmine intercropped with marigold than sole jasmine crop. The pest defender ratio was highest in jasmine + marigold (1:3.50) and the order falls as jasmine + coriander (1:3.05) and jasmine + gingelly (1:2.34).The data indicated the supremacy of marigold in reducing the incidence of the jasmine budworm as well as attracting more natural enemy population, bagging the credit of eco-feast crop.