Temporal Incidence of Major Insect Pests in Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)

Abstract

The present study assessed the seasonal incidence of major insect pests of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) and their relationship with selected weather parameters. A 200 m² bulk plot was raised following recommended agronomic practices during the pre-summer season of 2026 at the Agricultural College Farm, Naira, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh, India. The incidence of leafhoppers, whiteflies, aphids, and fruit and shoot borer was recorded at weekly intervals on randomly selected plants. Fruit and shoot borer damage was quantified as percentage fruit infestation based on the number of damaged fruits relative to the total fruits observed, and pest incidence was correlated with maximum temperature, minimum temperature, morning relative humidity, and evening relative humidity. Leafhoppers and whiteflies first appeared during the 5th standard meteorological week (SMW), while aphid infestation commenced during the 9th SMW. The peak populations of leafhoppers (15.76 hoppers per three leaves) and whiteflies (12.65 whiteflies per three leaves) were recorded during the 9th SMW, whereas aphids attained their highest population (25.66 aphids per three leaves) during the 11th SMW. Fruit and shoot borer infestation began during the 10th SMW and reached maximum fruit damage of 34.88% during the 12th SMW. Aphid and fruit and shoot borer incidence were positively associated with temperature and negatively associated with relative humidity. The study identified the 9th to 12th SMWs as the main period for monitoring pest occurrence in okra under the study conditions.