Seasonal population dynamics of Mango hopper (Idioscopus clypealis) across four mango cultivars in Jammu Region, J&K, India

The production of mango, Mangifera indica, is severely affected by mango hopper, Idioscopus clypealis, resulting in significant economic losses. The current publication presents the seasonal population dynamics of I. clypealis in the Jammu region observed on four commercial mango cultivars: Dashehari, Langra, Kheera, and Malda during January - December, 2023.The investigations revealed that the adult hoppers started appearing during the first fortnight of March and peaked during the second fortnight of May with a mean population of 3.92, 2.96, 2.76, and 2.56 (per 25 sweeps) on Dashehari, Langra, Kheera, and Malda, respectively, with a declining trend observed post-June until December, when no hopper was recorded on any of the cultivars. This pattern was mainly controlled by temperature and relative humidity. Dashehari was found to be the most susceptible to hopper infestation, followed by Langra, Kheera, and Malda. The objective of the current work is to study the seasonal dynamics of mango leafhoppers, the effect of abiotic factors on the population dynamics of mango leafhoppers, and the susceptibility of mango varieties towards mango leafhoppers. These findings will provide significant insights on management intervention advocating the implementation of integrated pest management measures into practice, especially for the vulnerable cultivars.