Seasonal incidence of major insect pests of marigold (Tagetes sp. Linnaeus) in relation with abiotic factors

Investigation on “Seasonal Incidence of Major Insect Pests of Marigold (Tagetes sp. Linnaeus) were carried out at Instructional Horticulture Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur during kharif 2024. The objectives were to study the seasonal incidence of major insect pests of marigold in relation to weather parameters. The infestation of thrips initiated in the third week of July (28th SMW) and was recorded highest (4.53 thrips per five plants) during the first week of October (39th SMW). Correlation between various weather parameters and the population of thrips was found non-significant. Aphids’ infestation initiated during the third week of July (28th SMW) and recorded highest (8.27 per five plants) during first week of September. The aphid’s population was found to be negatively significant with maximum temperature (r =-0.720*) and positively significant with evening relative humidity (r = 0.696*) and with morning relative humidity (r = 0.578*) during Kharif. The infestation of capitulum borer initiated in the second week of August (32th SMW) and maximum population (4.40 larvae per five plants) during second week of September. The incidence of capitulum borer during Kharif had a significant positive correlation with morning relative humidity (r = 0.634*) and rainfall (r = 0.779*).