BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CUCURBIT LEAVES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON RED PUMPKIN BEETLE

In order to determine the biochemical composition of cucurbit leaves and their influence on red pumpkin beetle, the study was conducted in the experimental farm, laboratories of entomology and soil science of Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur during November 2007 to March 2008. Result revealed that the highest quantity of moisture was recorded in young leaf of bottle gourd (86.49%) and mature leaf of khira (87.95%). The lowest moisture content was obtained in young leaf of snake gourd (79.21%) and mature leaf of ribbed gourd (76.43%). The highest nitrogen content was found in young leaf (6.79%) of sweet gourd and in mature leaf (5.57%) of bottle gourd. The lowest percentage of nitrogen was found in young leaf (3.64%) of bitter gourd and in mature leaf (2.52%) of ribbed gourd. The highest quantity of total sugar was found in young leaf of bottle gourd (4.90%) and mature leaf of sweet gourd (4.76%). The lowest quantity of total sugar was found in young (2.03%) and mature leaves (2.09%) of bitter gourd. The highest quantity of reducing sugar was estimated from young leaves of musk melon (4.14%) and from mature leaves (4.01%) of sweet gourd. The lowest quantity of reducing sugar was in young (1.85%) and mature (1.83%) leaves of bitter gourd. Relationship of RPB population per leaf with the percent nitrogen, total and reducing sugar content of mature leaves of cucurbits was found positively correlated.