COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY OF MALLADA BONINENSIS (OKOMOTO) ON NATURAL HOST MANGO HOPPERS IDIOSCOPUS NIVEOSPARSUS (LETH) AND LABORATORY HOST RICE MOTH CORCYRA CEPHALONICA (STAINTON)

Comparative biology of Mallada boninensis (Okomoto) on mango hoppers Idioscopus niveosparsus (Leth) and rice moth Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) were studied under controlled temperature at 250C ± 20C  and 60 percent relative humidity in the Department of Agricultural Entomology, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli during the year 2008-09 and 2009-10. The eggs of M. boninensis took slightly less incubation period when reared on C. cephalonica eggs than the natural host nymphs of I. niveosparsus.  The larva of M.boninensis completes its development in a short period when fed with   C. cephalonica eggs. The length and breadth of various instars of M. boninensis did not show any significant differences when reared on both the hosts. The longest pupal period of M. boninensis was recorded on I.  niveosparsus while maximum weight of pupa was recorded on C. cephalonica eggs and the female survived longer than the male irrespective of food supplied during the larval stage and maximum fecundity of 294.00 eggs per female was noticed when the larvae were fed with the eggs of    C. cephalonica

Regression Equation Model for Brinjal Pests (Solanum melongena L.) in Maharashtra Plain Zone

An experiment “Effect of weather parameters on growth, yield and insect pest infestation on brinjal varieties under different planting windows” was carried out at Faculty of Agriculture Department of Agricultural Meteorology Farm, Centre for Advanced Agricultural Meteorology, College of Agriculture, Pune during Kharif seasons of 2014 and 2015. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. The treatment comprised of three brinjal hybrids viz., V1:Phule Arjun, V2: Krishna, V3: Panchganaga as main plot and four planting windows viz., P1: 31st MW (30 July-5 August), P2: 32ndMW (6-12 August), P3:33rdMW (13-19 August) and P4: 34thMW (20-26 August) as sub plot treatments. The correlation of meteorological parameters with incidence of brinjal shoot and fruit borer was studied in 2014. The correlation of shoot and fruit borer on brinjal (0.764*and 0.796*) and (0.784* and 0.704*) with the weather parameters are presented. Whereas morning relative humidity, rainfall and bright sunshine hours showed positive correlation with shoot and fruit borer population Average number of aphids/ jassid/ whiteflies plant showed highly significant negative correlation with minimum temperature(r= -0.702*,-0.710* and 0-.800*,) respectively. During 31stMW planting windows maximum temperature showed significant negative correlation with shoot and fruit borer population(r= -0.796*).It was observed that the infestation of shoot and fruit borer started increasing from October to November and its decreased onwards meteorological week.  Amongst all the brinjal hybrids, Phule Arjun hybrids found significantly superior under extended planting windows followed by Krishna and Panchganga. Planting during 31st MW (1st week of August) was observed to be most suitable and optimum for brinjal considering the growth and yield attributes. This planting window was at par with 32nd MW planting window. Linear correlation analysis for brinjal fruit yield with weather parameters was significantly positively correlated with maximum temperature and minimum temperature. Timely planting during 31st MW (P1) and 32nd (P2) recorded lower incidence of shoot and fruit borer, aphids, jassid and whiteflies. Whereas, crop planted during 34thMW (P4) recorded maximum incidence of all pests. Among the brinjal hybrids, higher incidence was recorded with Panchganaga and minimum was recorded on Phule Arjun. Among the brinjal hybrids lower incidence of shoot and fruit borer, aphids, jassids and whiteflies was recorded on hy. Phule Arjun, which was found to be tolerant. This was followed by hy. Krishna. The higher incidence of all pests was recorded hy. Panchganga, which was found to be susceptible. Pest population on brinjal shoot/fruit/Aphid/Jassid/Whiteflies had significant negative correlation with minimum temperatures, whereas, morning and evening relative humidity, wind speed, pan evaporation and bright sunshine hours showed positive correlation pests population

Effect of Micrometeorological Parameters on Growth and Yield of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) under Different Planting Windows

An experiment was carried out at Faculty of Agriculture Department of Agricultural Meteorology Farm, Centre for Advanced Agricultural Meteorology, College of Agriculture, Pune during Kharif seasons of 2014 and 2015.The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. The treatment comprised of three brinjal hybrids viz.,V1:Phule Arjun, V2: Krishna, V3: Panchganaga as main plot and four planting windows viz., P1: 31st MW (30 July-5 August), P2: 32ndMW (6-12August), P3:33rdMW (13-19 August) and P4: 34thMW (20-26 August) as sub plot treatments.  In micrometeorological studies of the higher radiation absorptions and lower reflection was absorbed under hy. Phule Arjun as compared to hy. Krishana and hy Panchganga. The maximum Incident PAR (1270 u mol m-2s-1) Intercepted PAR (86.47u mol m-2s-1),Absorbed PAR (1094.4u mol m-2s-1) and Radiation use efficiency (2.43gmMJ m-2) was observed in hy .Phule Arjun. Cumulative GDD, HTU and PTU at the end of each growth stages showed that numerically higher requirement was observed in hy. Phule Arjun over hy. Krishana and hy. Panchganaga hybrids during both year 2014 and 2015 experimentation period. Whereas, the lowest canopy temperature was found in hy. Phule Arjun (29.0 0C) than rest of the brinjal hybrids. Canopy reflected PAR and transmitted PAR was higher in (191.54 and 188.62 µ mol m-2s-1) Panchganaga hybrids among the brinjal hybrids

Agrometeorological Indices Influenced by Varying Planting Windows and Varieties of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) in Maharashtra, India

An experiment was carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture Department of Agricultural Meteorology Farm, Centre for Advanced Agricultural Meteorology,College of Agriculture, Pune during Kharif seasons of 2014 and 2015.The experiment was laid out a split plot design with three replications.The treatment comprised of three brinjal hybrids viz.,V1:Phule Arjun, V2: Krishna, V3: Panchganaga as main plot and four planting windows viz., P1: 31st MW (30 July-5 August), P2: 32ndMW (6-12August), P3:33rdMW (13-19 August) and P4: 34thMW (20-26 August) as subplot treatments. Micrometeorological studies of Cumulative GDD, HTU, and PTU at the end of each growth stage showed that the numerically higher requirement was observed in hy.Phule Arjun over  hy.Krishna and hy.Panchganga hybrids during both the years  2014 and 2015 experimentation period.Whereas, the lowest canopy temperature was found in hy.Phule Arjun (29.0 0C) than the rest of the brinjal hybrids. Canopy reflected PAR and transmitted PAR was higher in (191.54 and 188.62 µ mol m-2s-1) Panchganaga hybrids among the brinjal hybrids. Amongst all the brinjal hybrids, Phule Arjun hybrids were found significantly superior under extended planting windows followed by Krishna and Panchganga. Planting during 31st MW (1st week of August) was observed to be most suitable and optimum for brinjal considering the growth and yield attributes. This planting window was at par with the 32nd MW planting window. Linear correlation analysis for brinjal fruit yield with weather parameters was significantly positively correlated with maximum temperature and minimum temperature

Thermal Indices Requirement of Brinjal Varieties (Solanum melongena L.) under Different Planting Windows

An experiment was carried out at Faculty of Agriculture Department of Agricultural Meteorology Farm, Centre for Advanced Agricultural Meteorology, College of Agriculture, Pune during Kharif seasons of 2014 and 2015.The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications.The treatment comprised of three brinjal hybrids viz.,V1:Phule Arjun, V2: Krishna, V3: Panchganaga as main plot and four planting windows viz., P1: 31st MW (30 July-5 August), P2: 32ndMW (6-12August), P3:33rdMW (13-19 August) and P4: 34thMW (20-26 August) as sub plot treatments. Cumulative GDD, HTU and PTU at the end of each growth stages showed that numerically higher requirement was observed in hy.Phule Arjun over hy.Krishana and hy.Panchganaga hybrids during both year 2014 and 2015 experimentation period. Whereas, the lowest canopy temperature was found in hy.Phule Arjun (29.0 0C) than rest of the brinjal hybrids. Canopy reflected PAR and transmitted PAR was higher in (191.54 and 188.62 µ mol m-2s-1) Panchganaga hybrids among the brinjal hybrids. Heat unit requirement or GDD has been used for characterizing the thermal response in brinjal crop. GDD for entire crop growing period decreased with subsequent delay in planting. HTU and PTU were also decreased during later planting windows condition. GDD in different stages in that emergence (59.6 and 72.3), vegetative growth (481 and 478), 50% flowering (575 and 568), first harvesting (681 and 645), last harvesting (1178 and 1183) was observed in hybrid Phule Arjun during 2014 and 2015, respectively. Lower GDD was observed in hy.Panchaganaga during 2014 and 2015, respectively. The highest HTU observed in 31st MW planting windows in hybrids Phule Arjun (5376 and 9190.4).This was followed by hy.krishna and Panchganaga (5370 and 9086) during 2014 and 2015, respectively. Highest HTU was observed in 31st MW in hybrids Phule Arjun followed by hy.krishna and lower in panchganga

Impact of Yield Attributes and Yields of Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.)) Varieties under Different Sowing Windows

An agro-meteorological investigation was undertaken to determine“the impact of crop yield attributes and yield of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) varieties under different sowing windows” during kharif, 2017-18 and 2018-19 at Department of Agricultural Meteorology, College of Agriculture, Pune. In this context, an experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. The treatment comprised of four varieties viz., Vipula, Rajeshwari (Phule T 0012), BDN 711 and ICPH 2740 as main plot and four sowing windows viz., 24th, 26th MW, 28th and 30th MW as sub plot treatments. Yield contributing characters viz., number of pods plant-1 (149.5 and 143.0), weight of pods plant-1 (113.8 and 107.6 g) and 100 seed weight (10.79 and 10.75 g) were found significantly higher in var. ICPH 2740 over var. Vipula, Rajeshwari and BDN 711.Grain yield (26.59 and 28.14 q ha-1) and stalk yield (39.61 and 36.7 q ha-1) were significantly higher in var. ICPH 2740 followed by var. Rajeshwari, Vipula and BDN 711.On the other hand, Grain yield (24.31 and 22.86 q ha-1) and stalk yield (63.6 and 61.8 q ha-1) was higher in 24th MW sowing window during the year 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively