Preference and performance of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) on different host plants

Host preference and development biology of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) on brinjal, soybean, cucumber, cotton, tomato and Solanum nigrum L. was studied during 2020-21 at PAU, Ludhiana. Under free choice test conditions, cucumber was the most preferred host which attracted maximum number of adults followed by soybean. The other host plants in decreasing order of preference were cotton > brinjal > tomato > S. nigrum. Brinjal and cotton were the most suitable hosts having shorter development period, higher survival and fecundity. The survival of immature stages on soybean was 50% as compared to 67.5-72.5% on the most suitable hosts i.e. cotton and brinjal. Thus, soybean is a preferred host for adult feeding and oviposition but less suitable for immature stages of the B. tabaci. Hence, soybean may be exploited as a trap crop for the management of B. tabaci.