Correlation of whitefly population with weather parameters and management of leaf curl of chilli

Abstract

The present research discusses the population dynamics of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn.) o chilli with weather parameters in the Experimental field, College of Agriculture, Indore, (MP) during Kharif 2016. This investigation revealed that whitefly activity commenced from 33rd SMW and continued upto 43rd SMW. The peak population was observed on 37th SMW. The population exhibited positive significant correlation with maximum temperature, positive non-significant correlation with minimum temperature, negative non-significant correlation with the relative humidity, negative significant correlation with the wind speed and rain fall. When the population was correlated with the abiotic factors of the previous week, the population exhibited a positive non-significant correlation with maximum temperature and minimum temperature, negative non-significant correlation with the relative humidity and wind speed, negative significant correlation with rain fall. The crop could be protected from leaf curl by spraying insecticides viz., Fipronil, Pyriproxifen+Fenpropathrin, Buprofezin, Neemoil+P. fluorescens(alternate) sprays at 10days interval after leafcurl appearance.