Effect of organic amendments on the incidence of major pests of ash gourd, Benincasa hispida Thunb

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of organic amendments on the incidence of major pests of ash gourd, Benincasa hispida Thunb. in Agricultural College and Research Institute farm, Killikulam, Vallanadu, Thoothukudi during Rabi 2018 and Summer 2019. The results revealed that among the six organic amendments, Poultry manure @ 5.0 t/ha recorded the lowest incidence of pests viz., Myzus persicae Sulzer, Liriomyza trifolli Burgess, Aulocophora foveicollis Lucas and Diaphania indica Saunders in both the seasons followed by Farm Yard Manure @ 12.5 t/ha. Biochemical analysis of plants showed that total phenol content in leaves was higher in poultry manure applied plants compared to other organic amendments and untreated plants.