Dynamics of Pests, Natural Enemies and Pollinators of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill and Correlation with Weather Parameters

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at K.V.K. Instructional Farm located near College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (O.U.A.T.), Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi, during the cropping season 2020–21. The most significant pests found in Lycopersicon esculentum Mill were tomato fruit worm, serpentine leaf miner, and whitefly, while flea beetle was of minor importance.The population of whitefly had significant negative correlation with evening and mean relative humidity (RH). The population of leaf miner had significant positive correlation with maximum, minimum and mean temperature but significant negative correlation with mean RH. There was a significant positive correlation of flea beetle population with minimum temperature. The tomato fruit borer population had significant positive correlation with maximum, minimum and mean temperature but significant negative correlation with morning and mean RH. The natural enemies, lady bird beetles, spiders, praying mantis, rove beetle, red ant, dragonfly (red body) and damselflies (blue, brick red and black body) were found in the plots. The population of spider had significant negative correlation with maximum, minimum and mean temperature but significant positive correlation with bright sunshine hours (BSH). The population of spider had significant negative correlation with evening RH but significant positive correlation with BSH. There was a significant positive correlation of red ant population with BSH. The population of rove beetle had significant positive correlation with maximum, minimum and mean temperature. The pollinators recorded from experimental field were honey bee and carpenter bee. Of which, carpenter bee was the most frequent floral visitor and considered the main pollinator of tomato. The pollinators appeared in higher numbers during the blooming period and was the dominant species found in the field. There was a significant negative correlation of population of carpenter bee with maximum, minimum and mean temperature. The population of honey bee had significant negative correlation with evening RH.