Abstract

The maximum incidence of aphid, Aphis punicae was observed on pomegranate during the third week of February and March respectively in hill area at Yercaud and plains at Namakkal in Tamil Nadu. Both grubs and adults of the predatory coccinellid beetle. Scymnus coccivora were highly effective in reducing the population of aphids. A grub could feed on an average of 423 nymphs or 216 adults of aphids during the entire grub period. Inundative release of the green lace wing. Chrysoperla carnea @ 50 first instar nymphs per flowering branch four times at 10 days interval. coinciding the first release on the occurrence of aphids, resulted in 53.67 per cent reduction in aphid population. Among the chemicals, spraying of neem oil 3%, fish oil rosin soap 2.5%, phosalone and endosulfan at 0.07%, dimethoate and phosphamidon at 0.03% and methyl demeton 0.025% were highly effective in controlling the aphid population.

Keywords: Pomegranate, aphid, coccinellid, inundative release, green lace wing.