Seasonal incidence of brinjal shoot and fruit borer and red spider mite with their natural enemies’ fauna in brinjal crop ecosystem

Abstract

An experiment was conducted on seasonal incidence of brinjal shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis (BSFB) and red spider mite, Tetranychus macfarlanei and their natural enemies fauna in brinjal ecosystem at Chatha experimental Farm, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, India during 2014 and 2015. There were fourteen insect pests and fifteen natural enemies fauna were recorded during the two years of experimentation. Out of fourteen, 04 major insect pests like BSFB, hadda beetle, white flies, jassid; 01 non-insect pest like red spider mite; 09 minor insects along with twelve predators and three parasitoids were recorded during both the years. The seasonal incidence of peak larval population was observed during 24th and 30th standard weeks recording a maximum of 14.33 and 14.00 weekly mean larvae/15 plants, respectively during 2014 and 2015. There were two clear peaks of adult trap catches of BSFB population noticed during 22nd standard week and in 30th standard week in case of wota traps. The maximum incidence of red spider mites were recorded during 25th and 26th standard weeks recording a maximum (51.81 and 36.02) mean numbers of mites per 4 cm2 on brinjal during both the years of study.