Saurabh Sarma , N. Senthilkumar , Satyam K. R. Das

Abstract

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) have great scope to achieve net higher returns and in international agribusiness which has an estimated growth rate of about 5-10 %. However, MAPs are facing danger of extinction due to the attack of some serious insect-pests, diseases, weeds, deforestation, extensive exploitation and harvesting from natural sources and lack of proper knowledge on those problems among majority of the people. Therefore there is an urgent need for through investigation on cultivation management of MAPs. Reports on insect pests of MAPs are meagre and scattered. There are about 40-45 major destructive insect-pest species found causing loss of about 50-60% damage to MAPs. Therefore, it is necessary to follow suitable management strategies involving IPM components of pest management. An overall literature review of insect pests of MAPs and their management is dealt herewith.

Keywords

Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, Management of Insect Pests

Full Text

     

N. Senthil Kumar , Saurabh Sarma , Nizara D. Barthakur

Abstract

The population dynamics of Calopepla leayana Late, a serious (monophagous) defoliator of the commercially important timber species, Gmelina arborea (Roxb.), in Assam, India, was studied in terms of the fluctuation in their abundance in relation to temporal changes in the abiotic factors. Adults as well as larvae were recorded from March to November after which they undergo a brief period of diapause during winter. The population was observed maximum in the month of August when the interacting factors such as temperature and precipitation were high. Statistical analysis of the population data using forward stepwise regression and principal component analysis revealed temperature to be the principal component influencing the population.

Keywords

Calopepla Leayana, Abiotic Factors, Gmelina arborea, Assam

Full Text