Aim: To evaluate the effect of abiotic factors such as temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, sunshine hours and rainfall on the distribution and relative abundance of stem borer species in rice ecosystem. Methodology: Seasonal incidence of stem borer species was monitored using light trap catches and were correlated with the weather parameters. The relative abundance of stem borer species during Kharif and Rabi was estimated based on light trap catches and larval incidence. Results: Seasonal incidence revealed the occurrence of three stem borer species (yellow stem borer, pink stem borer and dark headed borer) populations in rice ecosystem. Yellow stem borer was found to dominate in rice ecosystem during Kharif, (80.61%) whereas during Rabi, pinkstem borer was found to be dominant (72.60%) than yellow stem borer (21.92%) and dark headed borer (5.48%). Weather parameters such as temperature, rainfall and wind velocity negatively influenced the occurrence of stem borer species in rice, whereas relative humidity and sunshine hours had positive effect. Regression analysis revealed the increased effect of abiotic factors such as temperature, relative humidity and wind velocityon the population of pink stem borer against yellow stem borer and dark headed borer. Interpretation: The present study reveals that, the change in weather parameter during seasons, such as temperature (25 - 27°C), relative humidity (69 - 80 %) and wind velocity (3 - 4 km hr-1) increased the fitness of pink stem borer species population than yellow stem borer and dark headed borer species in rice ecosystem, which was evidenced by the occurrence and relative abundance of pink stem borer population during Kharif 2018 and Rabi 2019 respectively.
Three species of parasitoids viz., Telenomus dignus Gahan, Trichogramma japonicum, Ishii and Tetrastichus schoenobii Ferriere were recorded from the egg masses of rice yellow stem borer, Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker) in a field study. The extent of parasitism was high during Rabi (43.33 – 93.33 %) and low during Kharif (0 - 40.00 %). Parasitism by T. dignus was maximum in October (50.00 %), T. japonicum, in November (23.08 %) and T. schoenobii in February (55.55 %). dignus and T. schoenobii in combination parasitized maximum number of egg masses (41.82 %). Multiple parasitism by the three species was high in December (8.33 %) and January (7.14%). Parasitic potential was maximum, when T. schoenobii alone parasitised the egg masses followed by T. dignus and T. schoenobii in combination. Host density in the field influenced the extent of parasitism.
Background: In India, out of the total loss incurred by different insect pests of paddy, 25 to 30 per cent damage is done by stem borer alone. Many conventional insecticides though have been evaluated against stem borers, yet, most of the chemicals have failed to provide adequate control. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of some newer molecules of insecticides and bio-control agents.Methods: Field trials were conducted to record the seasonal incidence and to evaluate the efficacy of insecticides and bio-control agents against the stem borer species in rice during Kharif and Rabi. Result: Field experiments revealed that during Kharif 2018, chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC was highly effective with 92.98 and 91.24 per cent reduction of stem borer infestation over control at vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively and recorded a high yield of 5720 kg/ha followed by spinetoram 11.7 SC with 83.16 and 80.82 per cent reduction of stem borer over control at vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively. During Rabi 2019, spinetoram 11.7 SC was highly effective with 92.36 and 93.73 per cent reduction of stem borer infestation over control at vegetative and reproductive stages respectively and recorded a high yield of 4570 kg/ ha, followed by chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC with 84.60 and 91.48 per cent reduction of stem borer at vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively. The difference in the efficacy of insecticides during Khaif, 2018 and Rabi, 2019, might be due to shift in the species occurrence of stem borer, with a dominant occurrence of yellow stem borer (80.61%) in Kharif 2018 and pink stem borer (70.00%) in Rabi, 2019. The bio-control agent Trichogramma japonicum exerted minimum reduction of stem borer with a low grain yield of 3946.6 kg/ha.
The cucurbit fruit fly or melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquilett) is the most devastating pest of horticultural crops. Laboratory research with maggots and adults of fruit flies necessitates the need for mass rearing. Only a few artificial diets have been evaluated for mass rearing of Z. cucurbitae. With this mandate, the present study was formulated to evaluate the fitness of different artificial diets on Z. cucurbitae maggots in comparison with the natural hosts cucumber and pumpkin. Age-stage, two-sex life table approach was used to assess the efficacy of the artificial diets. Developmental duration (egg, maggots, pre-pupa, pupa), adult longevity, lifespan, adult pre-oviposition period (APOP), total pre-oviposition period (TPOP), oviposition period, fecundity and sex ratio were observed for life table analysis. Among the artificial diets evaluated, only D6 supported the survival and growth of maggots. Significant differences were observed in the developmental duration of maggots in D6 to the natural hosts cucumber and pumpkin. Other biological parameters and population parameters observed on the artificial diet D6 were statistically equivalent with the natural hosts. Thus, the semi-artificial solid diet D6 developed based on pumpkin and common bean powder without anti-microbial agents can promisingly be used for efficient mass rearing and laboratory research on Z. cucurbitae maggots.
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