DAMAGE SCALE FOR PHYTOPHAGOUS MITE (POLYPHA GOTARSONEMUS LATUS) IN POTATO

摘要

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is considered as, one of the most important vegetable crops all over the world and it is the most important food crop in the world after rice, wheat and maize. The early crop of potato, which is a short duration crop, isplanted during September in Indo-Gangetic plains. During this period temperatures are very high during day time but they are suitable for tuberization during night and farmers take this early crop as this fetches premium price for their produce. Leaves of potato crop are heavily damaged in this season by phytophagous mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus. In the recent past under changing climatic conditions the mite, P. latus has started damaging the potato foliage severely resulting into mite bum. Burning of leaves affects the quantity and quality of potato. Hence, to measure the severity of damage done by the mite in potato crop, a visual scale of mite damage from 0-6 was developed on the basis of symptoms produced on the foliage in the field.