Influence of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on Pest Incidence and Natural Enemies in Guava (Psidium guajava L)

A study on seasonal incidence of insect pests and their natural enemies in different guava varieties was carried out at Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam during 2022-23. The results revealed that tea mosquito bug (8.75%), fruit borer (0.75%), mealybugs (12.25% and 2.80 %) and aphids (2.40%) were less in L-46. followed by red flash (1.55- 21.35%), L-49 (0.86- 13.50%)in guava ecosystem. The guava variety, Lalit was found to be more susceptible totea mosquito bug (22.60%), fruit borer (2.65%), mealy bug (25.60%), spiraling whitefly (23.45%), scales (5.75%) and papaya Mealybug (12.70%). The coccinellids population was high in lalit (1.80/tree) followed by Allahabad safeda (1.70/tree) and L-49 (1.60/tree), whereas the spiders were found high in red flash guava (0.70/tree) but in lalit it was 0.15 per tree. The fruit fly damage, mealybugs, spiraling whitefly, aphids, scales, papaya mealybug and spiders was more during hot weather and was positively correlated with maximum and minimum temperature whereas they are negatively correlated with other weather parameters viz., rainfall, wind speed and relative humidity. The fruit borer incidence was recorded high during rainy days (0.103) with high wind speed (0.344) and minimum temperature (0.004). The coccinellids beetle were more during cloudy and rainy period (0.765), high wind speed (0.554) and relative humidity (0.338).