Major insect pests and natural enemies on brinjal in the Tarai region of Uttarakhand, India in relation to weather parameters

Abstract

The present study was conducted to document major insect pests and natural enemies on brinjal grown under natural farming in the tarai region of Uttarakhand, India during kharif 2022-23. Major insect-pests found on the brinjal crop were brinjal shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), leafhopper, Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), white fly Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), hadda beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata Fabricius (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), leaf roller Eublemma olivacea Walker (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) and stink bug Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Among natural enemies, Coccinella sp. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and spider were recorded in present studies. Population peaks of various insect pests and natural enemies were recorded in the following pattern, whitefly was recorded in 3rd week of August (34th SMW), peak in the population of leafhopper was recorded in 4th week of August (35th SMW), leafroller in 5th week of August (35th SMW), Brinjal shoot and fruit borer in 2nd week of September (37th SMW), bugs in 2nd week of September (37th SMW), hadda beetle in 4th week of August (34th SMW), Coccinella in 1 week of October (40th SMW) and spider in 3rd week of September (38th SMW).