Prevalence and Impact of the Polyphagous Caterpillar of Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris brassicae Linnaeus, 1758) On The Marrow Stem Kale (Brassica oleracea L. Var Virdis)

Abstract

Kale is one of the important and chiefly consumed vegetable crops of Kashmir valley. The pest infestation on the Brassica oleracea L. var virdis (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) by the polyphagous caterpillar of Pieris brassicae Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) is presented in this study. The monitoring of pest infestation was assessed in the months from July-August 2021 from four different locations in the district Shopian, Kashmir, India. The present study thoroughly monitored the life stages of the polyphagous caterpillar of Pieris brassicae and its impact on the host plant. Among the larval stages of the pest, most damages was observed on the leaves by 2nd and 3rd instar larvae followed by the 4th and 5th instars respectively in non-insecticide treatment; with a higher rate of leaf damage (3.15 %) and larval incidence (1.13 %), while a lower rate of leaf damage (0.2 %) and larval incidence (0.04 %) was observed in insecticide control.