Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ASSESSMENT OF CROP LOSS IN CHILLI, CAPSICUM ANNUUML. DUE TO YELLOW MITE, POLYPHAGOTARSONEMUS LATUS (BANKS)

R. Girish, N. Srinivasa, S. Onkarappa and H. R. Shruthi

Abstract

Occurrence of yellow mite as well as its damage on chilli crop was observed throughout the cropping season. The nymphs and adult mites prefer to feed on top succulent leaves, infested chilli plants curl downwards in an inverted boat shaped manner, petioles of reasonably matured leaves become elongate, brittle and curled downward completely. The loss in dry fruit yield due to yellow mite, P. latus in Haveri district was 29.45 per cent during kharif 2008 and it was 29.33 per cent during Kharif 2009, thus the mean yield loss over two seasons was 29.39 per cent.