E-Pest Surveillance for Assessment of Seasonal Occurrence of Orange Pests in Maharashtra

Monitoring of incidence and intensity of pests over the crop season is crucial for effective pest management. ICT (Information and communication technology) not only enables the assimilation of pest databases over space and time, but also aids in the rapid processing of data to make pest management decisions using the available knowledge base and essential inputs that can be mobilised and adopted for plant protection on wide area basis. This study generated valuable data on the population dynamics of orange pests over the seasonal months from 2014 to 2022 with the aid of applied information and communication technology tools. The majority of the pests under current study showed their seasonal activity throughout the monitoring period. The study on the seasonal incidence revealed bark eating caterpillar Inderbela sp. having their peak infestation during September and October whereas January to March were observed as prime months for fruit sucking moths Othreis sps to reach their peak prevalence and damage. The citrus leaf miner Phyllocnistis citrella population dynamics showed two peaks in August and September. The data generated in this study would help in the forecast of the pests and helpful in devising an effective IPM strategy.