Crop diversification for sustainable insect pests management in Bitter gourd (Momordisa charantia)

A field trial was conducted to study the influence of intercropping on the incidence and behaviour of whitefly and fruit fly and abundance of coccinellids in bitter gourd in two plant systems with trailing and without trailing. The results revealed that there was significant reduction of incidence of major pests in the intercropped plots over monocrop of bitter gourd. When data for the two consecutive years were compiled, the lowest whitefly population (1.97 whiteflies/3 leaves) was recorded from the treatment in which marigold was intercropped with bitter gourd without trailing compared to 6.20/3 leaves) in control. The lowest % fruit infestation on weight basis was also recorded in treatment with marigold with trailing during spring summer (11.2%) and at par with the treatment with marigold and without trailing (11.5%) which also recorded significantly higher coccinellids population than sole crop during both the years (2.70 coccinellids/plant).