Whitefly incidence-Perception and reality

摘要

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an important crop of North Zone Indian states comprising Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. It is cultivated in all these three states and in Punjab. It is the second most important kharif crop after paddy. It is also grown in South Western districts of the state. Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka and Sri Muktsar Sahib arethe most important cotton growing districts, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the cotton area. Attack of insect pests and diseases is the major bottleneck in cotton cultivation, which significantly reduces the yield. The insect pest complex of cotton crop is broadly categorized into two groups, the sucking pests and the bollworms, that cause damage to various plant parts at different growth stages throughout the crop season. Bt cotton provides protection against lepidopteran pests mainly bollworms, but it does not provide resistance against sucking insect pests. Among the sucking pests, whitefly, jassid, thrips, mealybug etc. may cause serious damage to the cotton crop. Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), has assumed the status of a serious pest of cotton in the recent past and it appeared in epidemic form in Punjab and Haryana during kharif 2015.