Studies on the seasonal occurrence and control of pomegranate (Punica granatum), (Lythraceae) insect pests, with a focus on fruit borer and thrips

Abstract

The current study on "Studies on seasonal incidence and management of insect pests of pomegranate, Punica granatum (Lythraceae), with special reference to fruit borer and thrips" was carried out at the Dry Land Horticulture Research Farm, Pt. Shiv Kumar Shastri College of Agriculture & Research Station, Surgi; district Rajnandgaon, during the kharif-rabi, 2020-21. Twenty-four insect pests were identified causing damage to pomegranate at various growth stages in pest succession studies. On the pomegranate environment, five sucking pests (aphid, thrips, whitefly, mealy bug, and mites), one fruit borer (anar butterfly), and three leaf defoliators (castor semi-looper, tussock moth caterpillar, and hairy caterpillar) predominated. Thrips, Scirtothrips sp., and fruit borer, Deudorix sp. were identified as important pomegranate insect pests. Based on the pooled mean, Neem Seed Kernel Extract (NSKE) @ 5% outperformed other botanical insecticides in terms of thrips and fruit borer infestation, with 2.11 thrips/5 cm shoot and 4.96 percent, respectively.