Crop monitoring of betel vine to understand weather-influenced entomological pest infestation

To address the knowledge gap regarding the betel vine entomological pests, a three-year study (2019 to 2021) was conducted at multiple locations to assess pest infestation levels, potential threats, and seasonal incidence, considering the influence of weather parameters. Over this period, eleven different entomological pests, including insects and mites, infested betel vine year-round. Among them black fly (Aleurocanthus rugosa), whitefly (Aleurocantuhs sp.), green looper (Chrysodeixis sp.), scale insect (Lepidosaphes sp.), and red spider mite (Tetranychus sp.) were considered as major pests exhibited infestation ranging from 15.33 to 68.15%. Seasonal incidence showed two peak periods in May and October for most of the pests, except for scale insects, which peaked during the rainy and post-rainy seasons (July to October), and red spider mites, which peaked during February-May and September-November. Multiple linear regression analysis highlighted that weather variables significantly contributed to distribution and abundance of the pests. A positive correlation between temperature and pest abundance, while relative humidity and rainfall exhibited negative relationships. This study underscored the significant impact of weather variables, unveiling pre-monsoon and post-monsoon peaks in pest populations. Low pest activity in rainy and winter seasons emphasizes the correlation with temperature variations.