Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

IMPACT OF EFNS NUMBER ON PLANT VIGOUR AND ANT VISITATIONS ON FOLIVORY IN COTTON, SESAME AND CASTOR

T. Nalini and M. Revathi

Abstract

In cotton, among three genotypes EFNs number were highest in wild during summer. EFNs number and yield were highest in hybrid and lowest in variety during summer. In Sesame, the number of EFNs and yield were highest in variety during summer, lowest in wild during Kharif. In Castor, the same were highest in wild during summer and lowest in wild during Kharif. In cotton, the percentage of injured leaves was significantly lowest in wild in control (ant present) but it was significantly high in variety in treatment (ant excluded). In both sesame and castor, the percentage of injured leaves was significantly lowest in wild in control (ant present) and was significantly highest in hybrid in treatment (ant excluded). In all the three genotypes, the percentage of injured leaves was lower in control (ant present) than the treatment (ant excluded).