Seasonal incidence of major sucking pests complex of Capsicum in relation to weather parameters in Eastern Plateau and Hill region of India

Abstract

Seasonal incidence of sucking pest complex were studied on capsicum during 2014-2015 in Eastern Plateau and Hill region of India. The three major sucking pests viz., thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis; mites, Polyphagotarsonemus latus and whitefly, Bemisia tabaci population along with weather parameters were recorded. Incidence of pests started from second to third week of September and reach its peak in month of Octber. The correlation analysis between thrips population and weather parameters indicated negative correlation between the number of thrips and rainfall. Mites showed significant positive correlation with temperature and realtive humidity (p<0.01), but found a non significant negative correlation with rainfall. Similarly, whiteflies also showed positive with temerature and relative humidity and a negative correlation with rainfall. The linear regression analysis based on weather parameters as independent variable and thrips, mites and whiteflies population fluctuation as dependent variable, explained to 42, 65 and 47 percent population variability, respectively. So, environmental varables played significant role in distribution and abundance of mites population on capsicum.