Seasonal outbreak of Thrips tabaci on different cotton cultivars in relation to abiotic factors and different sowing times

Nowadays approximately 20 thrips species have been reported to infest cotton internationally causing considerable yield losses. Monitoring thrips is hard as they are about minute and are mysterious feeders, which build thrips not easy to manage by chemical. The present investigations were designed to test out the seasonal outbreak of thrips individuals on two cotton varieties and effect of ecological components markedly temperature, humidity and rainfall on it. The impact of different sowing dates was also intentional. The results indicated that thrips population was maximum (11.83/leaf) found on Cyto-179 and (8.22/leaf) on IUB-2013. In the first sown cotton, the peak activity of thrips was during the second week of August while for second planting time it was first week of August. The results from correlation analysis showed the positive association was found between the thrips abundance and temperature. While the analysis showed unconstructive correlation of relative humidity and rainfall with thrips abundance. Both cotton cultivars proved extra vulnerable to the thrips hit. A biotic factors played momentous role in the growth along with surveillance of this pest. So, by managing the agronomic factors, e.g. sowing time, cotton yield could be enhanced by reducing the infestation of thrips