Beet Armyworm Spodoptera exigua : Emerging Threat to Onion Production
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Beet Armyworm Spodoptera exigua: Emerging Threat to Onion Production P. S. Soumia1 • Vadivelu Karuppaiah1 • V. Mahajan2 • Major Singh3
Received: 23 May 2017 / Revised: 18 December 2019 / Accepted: 9 January 2020 Ó The National Academy of Sciences, India 2020
Abstract Beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), hitherto a minor pest, had already taken a heavy toll on onion production. Regular monitoring of onion during 2017, for the S. exigua occurrence, revealed severe defoliation by this pest at the experimental farm in ICAR-DOGR, Pune. During the first appearance, about 44.72% plants were damaged with lesser feeding injury, while at the later stage the damage raised up to 81.90%. About 5–8 larvae/leaf fold and 3–4 larvae in an umbel were recorded at peak infestation. Severely infested plots registered with 10–12% damaged bulb after harvest. Overall mean plant damage ranged from 70.0 to 81.90% in some popular rabi onion varieties. However, the damage percentage does not differ significantly among the cultivated varieties which clearly denote the susceptibility of all these varieties. In the coming years, it will undoubtedly be a big problem for all states where onion is an important crop. Hence, much attention is needed, especially on pest bio-ecology in the onion ecosystem, scope of present IPM & P. S. Soumia [email protected] Vadivelu Karuppaiah [email protected] V. Mahajan [email protected] Major Singh [email protected] 1
Crop Protection Division, ICAR- Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research, Pune, Maharashtra 410505, India
2
Crop Improvement Division, ICAR- Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research, Pune, Maharashtra 410505, India
3
ICAR- Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research, Pune, Maharashtra 410505, India
strategies employed for managing other major pest, biocontrol potential and identification of safer insecticides for effective management to avoid yield loss. Keywords Beet armyworm Defoliation Emerging pest Spodoptera exigua Peak infestation
India ranks second in area and production of onion next to China, but the productivity is far behind as compared to the world average. In Indian subcontinent, onion is mainly grown during rabi season (80% production) and the remaining 20% produced from kharif season. Full yield potential of the crop is not realized due to various biotic and abiotic constraints. Among the biotic factors, onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is one of the major reasons responsible for substantial yield reduction and is considered as the key pest of onion. Beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which till recently was a pest of cotton, tomato, cabbage, chilli, chickpea and alfalfa in India [1–4] and USA [5], now attained a serious pest status and had already taken a heavy toll on welsh onion (Allium fistulosum) production in Japan, Vietnam and other Asian countries [6–8]. Previously, this pest was attacking the onion (Allium cepa) in some parts of Mah
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