Management of insect pests of cucurbits

摘要

The importance of vegetables as an integral component of human diet, in addition to being the supplier of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals, is well known. Cucurbits grow best in summers when days and nights are consistently warm. In Punjab, cucurbits have a special place amongst summer and rainy season vegetables and are sown on a large scale in the state. Various cucurbits including muskmelon, watermelon, summer squash, pumpkin, bottle gourd, bitter gourd etc. are commonly cultivated in Punjab. Thorough and proper knowledge of the identification of insect pests, symptoms of their damage and adequate control measures is a pre-requisite to combat their attack and achieve higher profits. Different pest management tactics could also be incorporated in integrated pest management programmes for both environmental as well as human safety.