ASSESSMENT OF QUANTITATIVE LOSSES DUE TO INSECT PESTS OF CABBAGE

G.C. JAT¹, LEKHA RAWAL²*, S.K. JAT³, P.C. YADAV^4
1Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan
²Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan
³Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan
⁴Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan
* Corresponding Author : lekha.rca@gmail.com

Received : 03-03-2017     Accepted : 10-03-2017     Published : 24-03-2017
Volume : 9     Issue : 14       Pages : 4087 - 4090
Int J Agr Sci 9.14 (2017):4087-4090

Keywords : Insect pests, losses, Rabi, infestation, Cabbage
Academic Editor : Gulsaz Shamim
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : The authors are thankful to the Head, Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur for providing all the facilities to carry out the present study
Author Contribution : None declared

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season of 2012-13 and 2013-14 at Horticulture Farm, RCA, Udaipur, involving the assessment of quantitative losses due to insect pests of cabbage. The cabbage variety Golden Acre was sown in 26 plots with each plot measuring 3.6 x 3.6 m2. One set of plots was kept protected from insect infestation by regular application of recommended pesticides and the other set was exposed to natural infestation throughout the crop growth. The insect-pests infestation caused 21.76 and 20.15 per cent reduction in plant height of cabbage during rabi 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively. The insect-pests infestation also affected the weight of cabbage head per plant with a mean loss of 25.17 and 23.73 per cent during rabi 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively. On the basis of difference obtained in net yield between protected and unprotected plots, the avoidable quantitative loss was estimated as 32.67 per cent during 2012 and 29.33 per cent during 2013.

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