Seasonal incidence of the pod borers, Etiella zinckenella (treitschke) and Helicoverpa armigera (hubner) on vegetable pea in meerut

A field experiment was conducted to study the seasonal incidence of E. zinckenella and H. armigera on vegetable pea during rabi 2008-09 and 2009-10. Peak incidence of E. zinckenella as well as H. armigera larvae was recorded during February first week during both the years. During study period E. zinckenella ranged from 0.00 to 18.67 whereas, H. armigera ranged from 0.00 to 17.67 larvae per ten plants. Maximum temperature (r=-0.543 & -0,568) for E. zinckenella and r= -0.497 & -0.522 for H. armigera showed the negative significant correlation with incidence of larvae during 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively. Rainfall (r=0.374 & 0.388) showed the positive non-significant correlation with incidence of larvae E. zinckenella during 2008-09 and 2009-10 and also found positively correlated with the incidence of larvae of H. armigera with r=0.382 and 0.396 during 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively. Whereas, maximum relative humidity indicated positive significant relation with incidence of E. zinckenella larvae (r=0.012) during 2008-09 and was negatively correlated with incidence of same pest during 2009-10 with r= -0.672. Relation between field incidence of E. zinckenella larvae was found to be positively correlated during 2008-09 and negatively correlated during 2009-10 with minimum humidity. However, relation between incidence of larvae of H. armigera with minimum relative humidity (r = 0.183 & -0.388) was positive during 2008-09 and negative during 2009-10.