Population Dynamics of Sucking Pest Complex in Muskmelon

The experiment on assessing the incidence of sucking insect pests on muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) was conducted at the research field of the Integrated Farming System (IFS) unit, Faculty of Agriculture (FoA), Wadura, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) during kharif 2021. Three major sucking pests—Aphis gossypii, Amrasca biguttula, and Scirtothrips dorsalis- were observed infesting muskmelon. Of these, A. gossypii recorded peak infestation during the 23rd standard meteorological week (SMW), while A. biguttula, and S. dorsalis peaked during the 26th SMW. Among the major meteorological factors, only maximum temperature showed a significant positive correlation with incidence of these sucking pests.