Sowing Dates: A Major Factor on the Incidence of Major Insect Pests and Yield of Mungbean

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Pulses Research Center, Ishurdi, Pabna, Bangladesh during kharif-I to find out the insect pests attacking mungbean crop sowing at different dates to determine the optimum date(s) of sowing. It is seen that the incidence and population fluctuation of various insect pests was very much dependent on the prevailed climatic conditions of the cropping season. The early (February 14 to March 06) and late sown (mid April to onward) crops received higher pest infestation than mid sown (March 13 to April 10) crops. The highest yield (1548 kg/ha) was obtained from March 27 sowing crop. The second highest yield (1279 kg/ha) was obtained from March 13 sowing which was statistically identical to March 20, April 03 and April 10 sowings crop. Again, the delayed sowings after mid April to onward provide yield of 717 kg/ha to 178 kg/ha which were very poor. Hence, for ensuring higher yield and less insect pest's infestation, mungbean should be sown within the period of March 13 to April 10 and the best date of sowing should be March 27. Key words: Sowing dates; pest infestation; yield of mungbean. DOI: 10.3329/jard.v7i1.4432 J Agric Rural Dev 7(1&2), 127-133, June 2009