Vol. 10, Special Issue 12 (2021)

Author(s):
Gaurang Chhangani, MK Mahla, R Swaminathan, Hemant Swami, AK Meena and Kavita Kumawat

Abstract:
Investigations on, “Comparative population dynamics of major insect pests of Zaid and Kharif cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (Linnaeus) Walp.]” were carried out at the Instructional farm and Department of Entomology of Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur,duringtwo summer (Zaid) and monsoon (Kharif) crop seasons in the consecutive years 2019 and 2020.During the course of investigations, the sequential infestation by the major insect pests observed on cowpea followed a more or less uniform trend in both the years of study; however, was influenced more often by the mean atmospheric temperatures and the total rainfall pattern each year. The infestation trend closely ensued the crop phenology with the following sequence of pestiferous insects: flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae); jassids (Heteroptera: Cicadellidae); whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleurodidae) only during the monsoon season; leaf miner (Diptera: Agromyzidae); sap feeding bugs of Heteroptera (Hemiptera: Alydidae &Coreidae); thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) only during the monsoon season; plant lice (Hemiptera: Aphididae); spotted pod borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae); and the blue butterfly pod borer (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae).The total rainfall had negative effect on the population of sucking pest complex; whereas gradual increase in mean atmospheric temperature supported the borer population.