Population dynamics of natural enemies and insect pest in different Brassica oleracea (cabbage) growing seasons with different production systems

Abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the abundance of insect pests and their natural enemies in different plant protection/production systems. Twenty-five day-old B. oleracea seedlings were transplanted in the plot of 10×15 ft area with plant-to-plant 10 inches spacing and row-to-row 2ft spacing. Five different treatments (IPM, Reduced risk pesticides, black mulch, grower standard and control) was evaluated on the population dynamics of insect pests and their natural enemies. The research was conducted under Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and data regarding the population dynamics was recorded at every seven days’ intervals till maturity and harvesting of the crop. Maximum population of army worm, vegetable weevil, B. oleracea butterfly, diamondback moth and aphid was observed on control (8.33), black mulch (5.66), control (4.66), reduced risk pesticides (3.66) and control (22.67) respectively. Minimum population was observed on IPM and black mulch. Maximum average population of yellow wasps, ants, ladybird beetle, crysopid and syrphid fly was observed on control (3.67), (4.33), (4.67), (2.00) and (3.00) respectively and minimum population was observed on IPM. Therefore, the IPM treatment seems to be more suited for the farmers to manage the insect pests of B. oleracea and get healthy B. oleracea crop.