Seasonal incidence of thrips and relation to abiotic factors in chilli (Capsicum annum L.)

Abstract

The present study was carried out to find the correlation between the incidence of Scirtothrips dorsalis with weather variables during kharif 2015-16 and kharif 2016-17 respectively. The data on the seasonal incidence during both the seasons of investigation viz., kharif 2015-16 and 2016-17, The Scirtothrips dorsalis incidence was observed from transplanting to harvesting stage and the highest thrips population were recorded during January 3rd week (3rd standard week) with 24.82 thrips per five leaves in kharif 2015-16. While during kharif 2016-17 it was December last week (52nd std. week) with 17.01 thrips per five leaves. The relationship between the thrips population with preceding one week (one week lag) weather parameters during kharif 2015-16 revealed that there was a significant negative correlation was observed between weather parameters of maximum temperature (-0.51**), minimum temperature (-0.80**), mean temperature (-0.87**), rainfall (-0.55**), rainy days (-0.59**) at 1% level of significance. During kharif 2016-17, maximum temperature (-0.59**), minimum temperature (-0.83**), evening relative humidity (-0.66**), rainfall (-0.59**), rainy days (-0.67**) and mean temperature (-0.87**) were negatively significant with the thrips population at 1% level of significance.