Seasonal occurrence of the fruit borer (Virachola Isocrates) on pomegranate (Punica granatum) and its relationship to abiotic factors
Priyanka Dewangan and Avinash Gupta
The investigation was carried out in the Dry Land Horticulture Research Farm, Pt. Shiv Kumar Shastri College of Agriculture & Research Station, Surgi, district Rajnandgaon, during the kharif-rabi season of 2020-21. Twenty-four insect pests were identified causing damage to pomegranate at various growth stages in pest succession studies. Among them fruit borer i.e. anar butterfly was recorded as major insect pests of pomegranate and study of fruit borer, D. Isocrates was made in details. The first appearance of fruit borer, D. Isocrates larvae was observed during first week of August (31st SMW) with 5.50 larvae/5 fruits, which was the maximum population of pomegranate fruit borer during the period of study. A significant negative relationship was found between fruit borer, D. Isocrates population and minimum temperature with the correlation coefficient values (r) of -0.372. Coefficient of multiple regression R2 was non-significant with all-weather parameters except morning relative humidity. The selected weather parameter explained 0.500 per cent variation in the activity of fruit borer population. Studies on level of infestation of fruit borer, D. Isocrates at fruiting stage of pomegranate revealed that maximum fruit borer infestation were recorded during the month of August with 6.93 per cent fruit borer infestation. In the view of bahar system in pomegranate, maximum average fruit borer, D. Isocrates infestation were recorded in ambe bahar cropping season with and 4.33 per cent fruit borer infestation followed by hasta bahar and mrig bahar seasons with 3.73 and 3.00 per cent fruit borer infestation, respectively.
Priyanka Dewangan, Avinash Gupta. Seasonal occurrence of the fruit borer (Virachola Isocrates) on pomegranate (Punica granatum) and its relationship to abiotic factors. J Entomol Zool Stud 2023;11(5):16-21. DOI: 10.22271/j.ento.2023.v11.i5a.9225