Seasonal Incidence of Phytophagous and Predatory Mites on Capsicum Under Nethouse

Abstract

Capsicum is a popular vegetable crop grown under protected cultivation, but it provides congenial microclimate for insects and mites. The present study evaluates the seasonal incidence of mites on capsicum under nethouse conditions (2017, 2018). Simple, partial, and multiple correlation/regression coefficients of the incidence of mites with weather parameters revealed that the yellow mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) exhibits significant negative correlation with minimum temperature and significant positive correlation with morning relative humidity (RH). With two spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch and predatory phytoseiid and stigmaeid mites, it was observed that there exists a significantly positive correlation with maximum, minimum and mean temperature but a negative one with morning RH. The weather parameters individually do not have much effect on mite incidence when other weather parameters were kept constant (partial correlation); however, all weather parameters had significant effect on mite incidence (multiple correlation). Preference of two spotted spider mite and yellow mite for different plant canopy level was also worked out; it was found that T. urticae preferred middle canopy followed by top and bottom ones, while P. latus preferred top canopy followed by others.