Differential response of intercrops to mitigate aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) incidence on cruciferous crops
Shabistana Nisar and Parvez Qamar Rizvi
The field study was conducted to determine the impact of intercropping of cabbage, cauliflower and mustard in combinations of onion garlic and fennel on incidence of aphid species. The results revealed significantly the minimum population of Myzus persicae, in mustard+garlic (28.6±1.11aphids/plant) followed by mustard+onion (31.4±1.16 aphids/plant) and mustard+fennel (49.8±0.75 aphids/plant) over sole mustard (66.6 ±1.22 aphids/plant) after 30 days of sowing. The intercropping of cauliflower with garlic caused significant (f= 32.71, p<0.05) reduction (26.8±1.00 aphids/plant) of Brevicoryne brassicae over sole cauliflower (65.8±1.12 aphids/plant) after 30 and 90 days. However, cabbage+onion (131.0±0.56 aphids/plant) and cabbage and garlic (130.6±1.22 aphids/plant) combinations showed no differential response in population reduction of Lipaphis erysimi, but exhibited significant decrease (154.6±0.95 aphids/plant) over sole cabbage. The garlic blended with mustard, cauliflower and cabbage caused significant reduction of aphids over control. The study inferred minimized pest incidence if the main crops are cultivated in combination of intercrops.