The effect of different diets on the biological parameters of rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was studied under laboratory condition during 2010 -2011 in the Department of Entomology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam. Among the six diets tested, rice, wheat and groundnut mixture (5:5:1) was found to be the superior rearing medium that enhanced quicker development period of Corcyra cephalonica, maximum fecundity and maximum fresh body weight of full grown larva for both summer and winter seasons. The quicker development period of Corcyra cephalonica were 36.30±0.58 and 48.80±0.33 in summer and winter, respectively whereas maximum fecundity were 175.60±0.13 and 157.65±2.64 in both the season. The maximum fresh body weight of full grown larva was 93.85±0.56 in summer and 84.70±1.05 in winter when Corcyra cephalonica reared in rice, wheat and groundnut mixture (5:5:1). Groundnut alone proved to be the least preferred by the Corcyra cephalonica so weak performance in all the parameters for this tested host of many natural enemies.How to view point the article : Rajkumari, P., Basit, A. and Sharmah, D. (2014). Effect of different diets on the biological parameters of rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica Stainton. Internat. J. Plant Protec., 7(2) : 397-400.

The present investigation was carried out in the ICR farm, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during 2013-14 and 2014-15 for management of the major pests through development and validation of certain IPM modules. Lesser per cent incidence of aphid (0.60 %) was seen in Module-I than Module-III (2.58 %) and Module-II (6.0 %) and has significant at 5 % probability level. But highest percentage of aphid incidence (13.40 %) was registered in Module-IV. The mean population of thrips varied from 1.0 to 10.0 per cent among the modules. Module-I was found to be superior by recording significantly less incidence of thrips (1.04 %) than Module-III (2.6 %) and Module-II (4.0 %). Considerably higher per cent incidence of thrips was observed in Module-IV (10.0 %). The per cent population of mite was least (1.0 %) in Module-I compared to Module-III (3.0 %) and Module-II (7.6 %). Maximum incidence of mites was recorded in Module -IV (9.0 %). Whitefly incidence was recorded to be minimum (1.2% in Module -I compared to Module-III (2.80 %) and Module-II (4.0 %). The highest percent incidence of whitefly was registered in Module -IV (10.8 %). Module-I was found to be superior by recording significantly less incidence of pod borer (0.40 %) and was significantly differed from Module-III (3.2 %) and Module-II (5.8 %). The highest healthy green bean yield ha-1 was achieved in Module-I (13.99 tha-1) followed by Module-III (13.91 tha-1), Module-II (13.56 tha-1) and Module-IV (9.88 tha-1). The effectiveness of IPM Modules in respect to B:C ratio were obtained to be 2.06, 1.95 and 1.97 from Module–I, II and III respectively. The present experimental findings can be used as alternative for chemical pesticides at farmer’s field and will certainly be reduce the detrimental effect of insecticides application.

The need for the development of alternative types of selective control methods for crop protection with reduced use of chemical pesticides was the main objective of this present review article. This review is based on earlier works performed by many investigators on insecticidal and acaricidal property of bioactive components derived from Piper longum. The summarization of all recent works on application of phytochemicals associated with P. longum in insect pests control may be an alternative to currently used chemical pesticides for development of target specific, biodegradable into nontoxic products, safer and potentially suitable to use in integrated pests management programmes.

A field experiment was carried out in the Integrated Crop Research (ICR) farm, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat to determine the impact of weather parameters on insect and mite pests infesting French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) during 2013-14 and 2014-15. The weather parameters had a significant impact on population build up of various French bean crop pests. Cutworm population found to be positive and significant correlation with morning relative humidity (r=0.573) during 2014-15 while aphid showed a positive significant correlation with maximum temperature (r=0.555) and BSSH (r=0.671) but negative with relative humidity (r= -0.562*) in 2013-14. Two spotted spider mite (TSSM) population showed a positive significant correlation with morning relative humidity (r = 0.661* and r=0.617*) in both the years and negative correlation with maximum temperature (r=0.603 and r=559) in 2013-14 and 2014-15, respectively. A negative significant correlation with maximum temperature (r=706) and positive correlation with relative humidity (r=568) with pod borer population during 2013-14. The rain fall (r=589) had a negative significant correlation with Thrips population during 2013-14. Whitefly population found to be negative significant correlation with maximum temperature (r=554 and r=553) and positive correlation with morning relative humidity (r=605 and r=674) in 2013-14 and 2014-15, respectively. This present findings will certainly be a helpful tool for profitable cultivation of French bean crop by forecasting insect and mite pests arrival as well as management point of view.How to view point the article : Sharmah, D., Rahman, S., Debnath, P. and Khound, A. (2017). Influence of weather factors on insect and mite pests infesting French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Assam, India. Internat. J. Plant Protec., 10(1) : 157-166,

during 2014 and 2015 to study the population build up of P. lotus infesting Capsicum chinense with respect to weather factors. In the present investigation, the highest population (no/leaf) of yellow mite, P. latus was observed in the month of March with maximum 45 and 28 number of yellow mite per leaf in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The highest overall per cent incidence recorded was 80.61 in the last week of March whereas lowest overall incidence was found in May with 20.12 per cent mite incidence The correlation studies between P. latus and weather parameters revealed that population build up of P. latus found to be significant negative correlation with morning relative humidity (r=-0.787 and r=-721) and rainfall (r=-0.526) in both the years, respectively. Maximum temperature, minimum temperature and evening relative humidity showed a negative and non-significant correlation with mite population. Bright sunshine hour was found to be positively correlated. This present findings will certainly be a helpful for yellow mite forecasting as well as management point of view and to have profitable cultivation of Capsicum chinense by way of mite free crop production.