Evaluation of crop losses due to insect pests in various growth periods of safflower, Carthamus tinctorius (Linnaeus)

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted during Rabi 2023 on the experimental farm of Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Latur, Maharashtra, India. The crop losses due to insect pests during various growth periods of safflower were worked out by conducting the experiment in randomized block design with four treatments. The treatments include: protection during vegetative stage only (T1), protection during reproductive stage only (T2), throughout protection (T3) and untreated control (T4). The insecticides used were Acephate 75% SP @ 780 g/ha and Dimethoate 30 EC @ 660 ml/ha. The results revealed that lowest population of aphid and jassids were recorded on treatment which received protection throughout the growth period (T3) (0.10 aphids/5 cm apical twig and 0.01 jassids / plant, respectively). Untreated control (T4) recorded the highest aphids, jassids, H. armigera and P. capensis (39.64 aphids / 5 cm apical twig / plant, 0.20 jassids, 0.29 H. armigera larvae and 0.13 P. capensis larvae per plant, respectively). The treatment receiving protection throughout the growth period (T3) recorded the highest yield of 2296.30 kg/ha while the untreated control (T4) had the lowest yield of 480.00 kg/ha and reported the avoidable yield loss of 79.10%.