Growth, development and nutritional indices of tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (F) raised on bell pepper plants grown under elevated CO2 and temperature conditions

Authors

  • MEENA KUMARI Dept. of Environmental Science, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni – Solan (H.P.), India
  • S.C. VERMA Dept. of Entomology, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni – Solan (H.P.), India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54386/jam.v23i2.62

Keywords:

Capsicum, eCO2, elevated temperature, open top chamber, nutritional indices

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at experimental farm situated at 30◦5’N latitude and about 77◦11’E longitudes, an elevation of 1260 m above mean sea level of Department of Environmental Science, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh during 2014 and 2015, to study the effect of elevated CO2 (eCO2) and elevated temperature (eT) on growth, development and nutritional indices of Spodopteralitura on bell pepper plant. Feeding trials with foliage feeding insect S. litura was conducted  using foliage of bell pepper plants grown under four concentrations of CO2 and temperature, viz. three Open Top Chambers, (T1: OTC eCO2 550±10 ppm; T2: OTC with elevated temperature 1°C higher and eCO2 550±10 ppm; T3: OTC with ambient temperature and CO2 and T4: natural ambient air and temperature in open. Biochemical analysis of foliage revealed that plants grown under elevated CO2 had lower nitrogen. The larvae fed on eCO2 as well as eCO2 and temperature foliage exhibited greater consumption compared to the larvae fed on foliage under ambient CO2. Larval duration also increased by two days. The eCO2 and eCO2 and temperature foliage was more digestible with higher values of approximate digestibility. The relative consumption rate increased whereas the efficiency parameters, viz. efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD), and relative growth rate (RGR) decreased in eCO2 and eCO2 and temperature. The consumption and weight gain of the larvae were negatively and significantly influenced by leaf nitrogen.

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Published

01-06-2021

How to Cite

MEENA KUMARI, & S.C. VERMA. (2021). Growth, development and nutritional indices of tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (F) raised on bell pepper plants grown under elevated CO2 and temperature conditions. Journal of Agrometeorology, 23(2), 163–168. https://doi.org/10.54386/jam.v23i2.62

Issue

Section

Research Paper