Seasonal incidence of mealy bug, Phenacoccus solenopsis in bidi tobacco

摘要

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an important non-food narcotic cash crop, belongs to family Solanaceae. India stands second in tobacco production and exports in the world (Krishnamurthy, 2011). Tobacco being a long duration crop passes through various biotic and abiotic stresses. Among various biotic stresses, insect pests are responsible in causing quantitative and qualitative damage to seeds, seedlings, field crop and stored products. The first occurrence of mealy bug (Phenacoccus solani Ferris)on tobacco as a serious pest was recorded by Williams et al., (1985) in Zimbabwe. In Gujarat, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley was first reported on cotton (Jhala et al., 2008a) and later on tobacco (Jhala et al., 2008b). In India, mealy bug, P. solenopsisis a newly emerging pest on tobacco. Therefore, it is essential to develop effective management strategies to manage this insect pest. In view of this, the present investigation on seasonal incidence of mealy bug was conducted in middle Gujarat conditions during the month of September 2009 to January 2010 at Bidi Tobacco Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand.