Influence of thermo-hygroclimatic parameters on sucking pest incidence and predator assemblages in high density planting (HDP) Bt cotton ecosystems

Abstract

The investigation, entitled “Influence of thermo-hygroclimatic parameters on sucking pest incidence and predator assemblages in high density planting (HDP) Bt cotton ecosystems” was undertaken at the Agricultural Farm of Entomology Section, College of Agriculture, Dhule, Maharashtra, India (424004) during the Kharif season of 2023. The examination of the seasonal occurrence of various pests on Bt cotton and their natural adversaries revealed that aphid populations surged to a maximum in the final week of October, registering 43.6 aphids per three leaves per plant. The peak incidence of jassids was noted in the second week of October, with 16.9 jassids per three leaves per plant. Thrips populations reached their zenith in the second week of September, recording 53.1 thrips per three leaves per plant, whereas whitefly numbers culminated in the last week of September, with 41.9 whiteflies per three leaves per plant. Among natural predators, the ladybird beetle exhibited its greatest activity in the second week of September, with 3.98 beetles per plant, Exhibiting a pronounced and statistically significant concordance with the heightened incidence and spatial distribution of phloem-feeding arthropod infestations across agronomic landscapes.