Screening of cashew cultivars for resistance against tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis antonii Signoret

Eighteen cultivars of cashew were screened for the resistance against the tea mosquito bug (TMB), Helopeltis antonii. The lowest shoot infestation was observed in cultivar Vengurla-8 (4.75%) followed by Vengurla-6 (5.5%) and Vengurla-1 (6.5%) with mean damage score of 0.19, 0.22 and 0.24, respectively. However, higher shoot incidence of H. antonii was recorded in the cultivar Bapatla 10/19 (17%) with the mean damage score 0.68 during the study period. On panicles stage, cultivar Bapatla 3/28 (3.5%) was least infested with mean damage score 0.14. While, the cultivar Bapatla 30/1 (12.5%) recorded the higher incidence with a damage score of 0.50. Based on the susceptibility status, cultivars Vengurla-3, Bapatla 3/33, M 15/4, NRCC-2 were less susceptible, whereas, the cultivars, Bapatla 30/1, Bapatla 10/19 and Vengurla-4 were observed susceptible to H. antonii.