Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

Soybean, together with all other oilseeds, accounts for the majority of the diet and is hence the most significant crop. During Kharif 2020, this study was carried out in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, to collect data on the pest complex and natural enemies linked with the soybean. During the course of the study, 35 insect pest species were identified, with 8 major pests (Stem Fly, Girdle Beetle, Bihar hairy caterpillar, Tobacco caterpillar, Green semilooper, White fly and Aphids) being described. To determine the natural potential for addressing insect problems, the accompanying natural enemies were also recorded. The results of this study shows that the peak activity of different insect pest at particular time such as stem fly was observed in the third week of September with 100% of infestation while the peak activity of lepidopterous pests such as Spodoptera litura (5.3 larvae per meter row) and Spilosoma obliqua (7.3 larvae per meter row) were found in the last and second week of September respectively. The sucking pests (white fly and aphids) were found on their peak at the first week of September with 16.6 pests per plant. The natural enemies including coccinellid, spiders, syrphid flies and pentatomid bug were also noticed preying on the pests. The findings of this study will aid in the development of effective insect pest management strategies, particularly against the mentioned pest with the involvement of natural enemies