Influence of weather factors on population dynamics of major insect pests in moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) in south Tamil Nadu

Authors

  • P. MANIKANDAN Division of Ecotechnology, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai-600 113, Tamil Nadu, India
  • R. RENGALAKSHMI Division of Ecotechnology, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai-600 113, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54386/jam.v26i2.2405

Keywords:

Moringa, Insect pest, weather, Podfly, Budworm, Ant

Abstract

The field experiments were conducted to study the relationship of major moringa pests infesting buds (budworm), flowers(ants) and pods (podfly) with weather factors (maximum and minimum temperature and relative humidity and rainfall) during the rabi-summer and kharif seasons of 2021 and 2022 in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. The pest population data indicated that the infestations were found to vary with the seasons as well as years. The correlation with weather parameters revealed that the budworm infestation was significant and positively correlated with maximum temperature (r= 0.459***) and negatively correlated with morning relative humidity (r= -0.277*), evening relative humidity (r= -0.584***) and rainfall (r= -0.459***).  While in infestation by ants, it was positively correlated with the maximum temperature (r=0.42**) and minimum temperature (r= -0.296*), relative humidity (evening) (r= -0.649***) and negatively correlated with rainfall (r= -0.382**). The moringa pod fly infestation had a strong significant positive correlation with relative humidity (evening) (r= 0.7***) and rainfall (r= 0.517***) and a negative correlation (r= -0.518***) with maximum temperature. The stepwise linear regression showed that all the weather factors collectively influenced the budworm infestation by up to 60.7 %, ants infestation by 50.5 % and up to 60.7 % in podfly infestation.

References

Borkakati, R.N., Saikia, D.K. and Venkatesh, M.R. (2021). Influence of meteorological parameters on population build-up of brinjal shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee in Assam. J. Agrometeorol., 23(2): 249-251. https://doi.org/10.54386/jam.v23i2.76

Chandrakar, S. and Gupta, A.K. (2020). Seasonal incidence of insect pests on drumstick (Moringa oleifera Lamk). J. Entomol. Zool. Stud., 8(4): 1384-1387.

Dhandapani, S., Pakkirisamy, M., Rajaraman, R.., Garratt, M. P. D., Potts, S. G., Raj, R., Subramanian, M. and Senapathi, D. (2024). Floral interventions enhance flower visitor communities and pollination services in moringa plantations. J. Appl. Ecol., 61(1): 90–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14532.

Elango, K., Jeyarajnelson, S. and Dineshkumar, P. (2021). Incidence forecasting of new invasive pest of coconut rugose spiraling whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus) in India using ARIMAX analysis. J. Agrometeorol., 23 (2): 194-199. https://doi.org/10.54386/jam.v23i2.67

Honnalingappa, Y. B. (2001). Insect pests of drumstick (Moringa oleifera Lamk.) with special reference to the bioecology of and management of leaf eating caterpillar, Noorda blitealis Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). (Mater’s thesis, University of Agriculture Science, Bangalore).

Khokhar, S. and Rolania, K. (2021). Population dynamics of aphid and coexisting predators in tomato agroecosystem. J. Agrometeorol., 23(2): 200-206. https://doi.org/10.54386/jam.v23i2.69

Mahesh, M., Kotikal, Y. K. and Madalageri, M. B. (2013). Studies on natural enemies of insect pests of drumstick. J. Biol. Control., 27(4): 336–339.

Mahesh, M. and Kotikal, Y. K. (2014). Studies on insect pests of drumstick, Moringa oleifera Lam. Indian. J. Plant. Prot., 42: 461-464.

Mahesh, M., Kotikal, Y. K. and Gandolkar. (2018). Species diversity and population dynamics of fruit flies in drumstick ecosystem. J. Entomol. Zool. Stud., 6(4): 653-659.

Manikandan, P., Saravanaraman, M,, Suguna, K. and Selvanarayanan, V. (2020). Incidence and preference of mango hopper, Idioscopus clypealis Leth (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) on different mango varieties. Pestology, 44(2): 49-53.

Manikandan, P. and Selvanarayanan, V. (2020). Reaction of groundnut germplasm against leaf caterpillar, Spodoptera litura Fab. (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera). Plant. Arch., 20(1): 3003-3006.

Manikandan, P., Suguna, K. and Saravanaraman, M. (2021). Population dynamics of defoliating insect pests of mango in the coastal agroecosystem of Tamil Nadu. Pest Manag. Hort. Ecosyst., 27(2): 196-200.

Manikandan, P. and Rengalakshmi, R. (2023). First report on the tropical fire ant, Solonopsis geminate (Fabricius) as flower damaging pest of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) cultivated near the Western Ghats of Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. Ins. Env., 26 (3): 401-404.

Mutiara Titi, T. and Estiasih, E.S.W. (2013). Effect lactagogue moringa leaves (Moringa oleifera Lam) powder in rats. J. Basic Appl. Sci. Res., 3: 430–434.

Reddy, K.V., Ranjith, R. and Manikandan, P. (2022). Influence of abiotic factors on the incidence of brown plant hopper and its entomo pathogenic fungi in coastal agroecosystem of Tamil Nadu. J. Pharm. Innov., SP-11(7): 3928-3931.

Saha, T., Nithya, C. and Ray, S.N. (2014). Integrated Pest Management Approaches for the Insect Pests of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.). Pop. Khet., 2(2): 131-136.

Venkatesan, N., Sekhar, C., and Murugananthi, M. (2018). Marketing and price spread analysis of moringa in Tamil Nadu, India. Horticult. Int. J., 2(4): 212-221.

Downloads

Published

01-06-2024

How to Cite

P. MANIKANDAN, & R. RENGALAKSHMI. (2024). Influence of weather factors on population dynamics of major insect pests in moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) in south Tamil Nadu . Journal of Agrometeorology, 26(2), 238–242. https://doi.org/10.54386/jam.v26i2.2405

Issue

Section

Research Paper

Categories