Effect of Sowing Time on Infestation of Sucking Pests in Okra
Akshay Kumar *
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India.
Bhupender Singh
SNIATTE, Directorate of Extension Education, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India.
Anil Jakhar
Cotton Section, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India.
Ankit Saini
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India.
Utkarsh Baliyan
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India.
Sumit Mehla
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Okra is highly susceptible to sucking pests like leafhopper, whitefly, and red spider mite, leading to significant yield losses. While farmers rely on insecticides for pest control, excessive use poses risk to the environment. To explore alternatives, a study was conducted at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, during kharif 2023 to assess the effect of sowing time on sucking pests infestation in okra. For this, okra was sown on different times i.e., in the 3rd week of May, 1st and 3rd week of June, and 1st and 3rd week of July. The population of leafhopper, whitefly and red spider mite was recorded weekly, starting from the appearance of the pest. The study revealed that leafhopper population in crop sown in the 1st and 3rd week of July was on a par, however, significantly lower than that in other crops. Okra sown in the 1st week of July resulted in significantly lower population of whitefly than rest of the sowing times having population on a par with each other. Mite infestation was significantly lower in crop sown in the 3rd week of July compared to the others. Based on these findings, July appears to be the most suitable time for sowing okra to minimize sucking pests’ infestation.
Keywords: Sowing time, leafhopper, whitefly, red spider mite, okra, sucking pest