Seasonal Incidence and Biology of Major Insect Pests of Cabbage

The major pests observed during Rabi 2020-21 were cabbage aphid, diamond back moth, head borer, tobacco caterpillar and tussock moth. Natural enemies of cabbage pests have been identified as syrphid fly maggot, mummified aphids by Diaerietella rapae and lady beetle. The weather parameters have a direct and indirect effects on pest population of cabbage. The developmental stages of P.xylostella were observed to be egg (2±0.56 days), larva (9.8±0.89 days), pre-pupa (1.65±0.48 days), pupa (4.4±0.50 days), and total life cycle (27.1±1.94 days). The developmental duration of S.litura were observed as egg (3.15±0.36 days), larva (14.2±1.12 days), pre-pupa (2.02±0.10 days), pupa (7.45±1.14 days) and total life cycle (33.6±1.60 days). H. undalis developmental periods were observed to be egg (2.36±0.49 days), larva (14.02±1.10 days), pre-pupa (2.09±0.68 days), pupa (7.18±1.32 days) and total life cycle (22.85±0.93 days). The results of present investigation is based on only one season. Hence, requires more experimentation for confirmation of results.