Impact of Various Brassica species on The Developmental Response of Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), Its Extent of Damage, And Report of Its Biocontrol Agent In District Rajouri of Pir Panjal Region of Himalaya

Abstract

Cole crops are globally consumed as vegetables and are important sources of our dietary requirements, but they are infested by an array of pests, specifically the large white butterfly, Pieris brassicae (L). It is a critical global pest of cruciferous vegetable crops. We investigated the consequences of diverse cruciferous vegetables on the fitness of P. brassicae under laboratory conditions in 2021-22, to survive, develop, and reproduce under laboratory conditions, the extent of damage, and the report of the biocontrol agent, Cotesia glomerata (L). Under laboratory conditions, the effect of radish (Raphanus sativus), cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), and cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) on P. brassicae health were assessed by studying survival time, total development time, and mortality. Development time from hatching of eggs to adult emergence was longest on radish (32.6±0.84 days) and shortest on cabbage (25.0±1.41 days). In addition, the higher hatching percentage (96%), lower larval death, and higher yield of adults in cabbage indicated the fact of cabbage being the most appropriate food for P. brassicae. Life tables were dominant tools for analyzing and comprehending various aspects of an insect population's growth, survival, and reproduction. Furthermore, the crop loss was a function of pest population and the information on crop losses would serve as a guide for research programmes in crop improvement. The resistance to certain insecticides and the methods used to manage this insect pest on vegetable products in general required extensive research including biocontrol. We report the endoparasitoids C. glomerata (L) as a biocontrol agent against P. brassicae in district Rajouri which is the first record from the area which, therefore, warrants the essentiality of having a compact insect pest management plan that can relieve the dependency of destructive chemical control methods.