The incidence of painted bug, Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) on Brassica spp. and Eruca sativa with respect to the date of sowing

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted in order to study the seasonal incidence of painted bug, Bagrada hilaris at Crop Research Centre (CRC) of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (India) during Rabi seasons of 2015-16. Brassica spp. including Brassica campestris var. brown sarson (BSH-1), Brassica campestris var. yellow sarson (YST-151), Brassica alba var. PSB-I, Brassica carinata var CCN-06-1, Brassica nigra var PBR-I, Brassica juncea (Varuna), Brassica napus (GSC-6) and Eruca sativa (T-27) were sown on five dates starting from October 3 to December 3, 2015, at fifteen days interval. The results show that the infestation of the pest on the crop occurs in two distinct stages, one at the seedling stage and another at the crop maturity stage. B. napus harboured minimum population of Bagrada hilaris while it was higher in B. alba. Regarding sowing date, bug population was the minimum in the trail sown at October, 18 (second sowing) while it was the maximum in Oct 3 (first sowing). The maximum yield of different spp. was found up to third sowing date (Nov 3).