Vol. 18 No. 3
Influence of different companion crops on major sucking pests in the brinjal ecosystem
Author(s): M. I. ZAMAN, B. MONDAL, A. K. MUKHOPADHYAY AND L. C. PATEL
Abstract:
Cultivating companion crops with the main crop is comparatively more striking to the pests and serves to amuse them from the main crop. Biological pest control and nutrient content of the soil may also be enhanced by companion cropping. Accordingly, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the role of field boundary-based companionship cropping including (T1- sweet potato, T2- marigold, T3-brinjal itself, T4-cowpea, T5-maize, and T6- sole crop without any border crop) in brinjal ecosystem for population build-up of major sucking pests (whitefly and jassid). A significantly lesser population of sucking pests was observed in treated plots (T1-T5) with companion crops in comparison to sole crop (T6) throughout the cropping season. Jassid population was lowest with marigold (T2) during the 39th to 6th standard week of 2018-19 and it was highest in sole crop (T6). The average whitefly population was also lowest in T2 and highest in (T6) throughout the crop season.
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