Effects of Different Dates of Sowing on the Incidence of Borer Complex in Okra

A field experiment was carried out on okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) cv. Gujarat Anand Okra-8 during kharif 2024 at the Centre of Vegetable Research, C. P. College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, by adopting all standard horticultural practices. The objective was to evaluate the impact of different sowing dates on the infestation levels of the borer complex and to determine the most suitable sowing time. Among the five sowing dates tested, crops sown on 8th and 15th July recorded lower borer complex infestation, whereas higher incidences were observed in the crops sown on 29th July and 5th August. The highest fruit yield (92.32 q/ha) was obtained from the 8th July sowing, which was at par with the 15th July sowing (82.11 q/ha). The lowest yield (71.43 q/ha) corresponded with the highest pest infestation on 5th August sowing, indicating that early to mid-July is the most suitable sowing window for minimizing pest incidence and maximizing yield.