EFFECT OF SOWING TIMES ON INCIDENCE AND DAMAGE SEVERITY OF THRIPS, MEGALUROTHRIPS DISTALIS (KARNY) IN MUNGBEAN

Abstract

The effect of sowing times on incidence and damage severity of mungbean thrips was studied during the period from January to June 2015 at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU). The experiment comprised of seven treatments viz., T1= sowing on 31 January 2015, T2= sowing on 10 February 2015, T3= sowing on 20 February 2015, T4= sowing on 2 March 2015, T5= sowing on 12 March 2015, T6= sowing on 22 March 2015 and T7 = sowing on 1 April 2015. The variety, BARI mungbean 6 was used as planting material. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Data on different crop parameters, incidence and infestation of mungbean thrips, flower shedding were recorded and analyzed statistically. Different sowing dates had significant effect on growth and yield parameters, incidence of thrips and flower shedding of mungbean crop. It was found that the highest number of healthy plants (61.33), number of flowers plant-1 (12.22), number of total pods plant-1 (12.00), number of seeds pod-1 (11.33) and weight of seeds plant-1 (16.83 g) was obtained from T6 (sowing on 22 March 2015). Again, the lowest number of mungbean thrips flower-1 (1.00, 2.00, 2.20, 2.50, 3.00,1.50, 2.00 and 1.20 at 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 DAS, respectively), infested plants (18.67), infested flower plant-1 (2.20) and flower shedding plant-1 (3.0) was recorded form the same treatment T6 (sowing on 22 March) followed by T7 (sowing on 1 April). Considering thrips infestation and flower shedding 22 March was the best time for sowing mungbean.