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Role of NPK in Cotton Pest Management

Prajna Prakash Mishra, S. B. BABU

Ph.D Student, Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar.

ABSTRACT Cotton is the most important cash crop of India and it belongs to the Malvaceae family. Cotton is highly infested by pest. Nutrition of plant determines its resistance or susceptibility to pests as the taste what it needs and eat what it tastes. Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K) is Primary macronutrients and their proper application beneficial to manage insect herbivores. These nutrients make changes in chemical composition i.e. specially make changes in secondary metabolite which affects the quality and morphology of insects and reduces their population drastically. Keywords: Plant nutrition, Insect nutrition, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, potassium.

Cotton ( L.) is a well- productivity 524 kg/ha. Cotton often attacked by many known fiber crop. Cotton often referred as "white gold" insect pests which reduces yield and causes economic because of its higher economical value among cultivable harm to farmers. Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium has crops for quite a long period. It has particular importance an impact on different pest population of cotton. in the textile industry but is also cultivated for its essential seed oil. The world's cotton fibre production is Nutrition obtained from four species G. arboreum L., G. Insect-pests are threat to agricultural herbaceum L., G. barbadense L. and G. hirsutum L. Out productivity. They affect the crop yield, quality and of the four cultivated species, Gossypium hirsutum is also aesthetic value. The nutritional quality of plant tissue is known as upland cotton, long-staple cotton or Mexican one of the main elements of host plant selection by cotton, produces 90 per cent of the world's cotton. Today phytophagous insects. Nutrition of plant determines its cotton ecosystem is dominated by more than 85 % area resistance or susceptibility to pests. It has a substantial under the Bt cotton. India is the largest cotton growing impact on the predisposition of plants to insect-pests. country in the world with an area of around 122.35 lakh ha, production 377.00 lakh bales and Table 1: Uptake & Functions of Nutrients Nutrients Symbol Form Functions Category available Carbon C CO₂ Basic molecular component of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and Non-fertilizer nucleic acids element Hydrogen H H₂O Play a central role in plant metabolism, Important in the ionic applied balance as the main reducing agent through air, Oxygen O O₂, H₂O Occurs in all the organic compounds of living cells water and soil nutrients Nitrogen N NO₃, Formation of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, Major Macronutrients NH₄⁺ component of chlorophyll, Increases photosynthesis process required by plants in large Phosphorus P PO₄ ᶟ⁻ Promotes early root formation and growth, Increases protein and amounts mineral content Potassium K K⁺ Increases disease resistance and translocation of starch, Imparts drought resistance and winter hardiness Calcium Ca Ca⁺⁺ Component of the cell wall, Utilized for cell growth, division and Secondary formation, Increases fruit set, Helps in translocation of nutrients photosynthesis required by Magnesium Mg Mg⁺⁺ A key element of chlorophyll production, Improves utilization and plants in mobility of phosphorus moderate Sulphur S SO₄⁻⁻ An integral part of amino acids, Synthesis of volatile compounds amounts responsible for taste and smell in mustard and onion families, Helps in chlorophyll formation

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Iron Fe Fe⁺⁺, Promotes formation of chlorophyll, Acts as an oxygen carrier, Micronutrients Fe⁺⁺⁺ Reactions involving cell division and growth required by Manganese Mn Mn⁺⁺ Acts as a catalyst in oxidation-reduction reactions, Increase the plants in small availability of P and Ca. amounts Molybdenum Mo MoO₄⁻ Helps in fixation of atmospheric nitrogen in the roots of legumes by nodule bacteria, Needed to convert inorganic phosphates to organic forms in the plant Zinc Zn Zn⁺⁺ Helps in the formation of plant growth hormones (auxins), Necessary for chlorophyll and carbohydrate formation Boron B HBO₄⁻ Protein synthesis, nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism, root system development, fruit and seed formation, and water relations

Chlorine Cl Cl⁻ Required in photosynthetic reactions of plants. Deficiency is not seen in the field due to its universal presence in nature. Copper Cu Cu⁺⁺ A catalyst for respiration, enzyme constituent, chlorophyll synthesis, carbohydrate and protein metabolism Nickel Ni Ni⁺⁺ Nickel is a component of some plant enzymes. Nickel is also used as a catalyst in enzymes used to help legumes fix N.

The study deals with plant's need for certain chemical components of redox systems (N, S, P, Ca, B, Fe, Mg), elements including their specific and interactive effects osmotic regulators (K, Na, Cl), Beneficial elements (Co, on all aspects of plant growth, development, availability, Cr, Ni, F, Se, Si) and toxic heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, absorption, transport and utilization. Pb, As, Se, V)

Plant Nutrient: A chemical element that is essential for Role of NPK in Cotton: Nitrogen mostly required for plant growth and reproduction. An essential element is a the progress of shoots, buds, leaves, roots, and bolls and term often used to identify a plant nutrient. Based on the split applications of N enhances plant growth. Before composition of elements in plants, it is classified in two bloom and during the development of boll it is mostly types i.e. Essential elements (Necessary for normal required. Phosphorus is required for root development, growth and development of plant, Not replaceable in photosynthesis and cell division while its insufficiency their function by any other nutrients) and Mineral resulted in an awareness of plant, fruiting delay and yield elements (Elements other than hydrogen, oxygen-carbon, reduction. Potassium provides immunity to plants by used as raw material by plants). Based on nutrients reducing wilt disease incidence and also it maintains concentration it is further classified in two types’ i.e. water pressure, it is needed during early boll set, and Macronutrients (consumed in larger quantities i.e. dose most uptake occurs after first bloom. Less the amount of 0.2% – 4.0%) and Micronutrients (consumed in lesser potassium more the susceptibility towards drought stress quantities i.e. dose 0.01 - 0.02%). Based on physiological and diseases and pre-plant applications of Potassium is functions of elements 5 it is of types i.e. activators of the more effective. enzyme (K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu),

Table 2 Insect Pests of Cotton Sr. Common Name Scientific Name Family & Order Period of Occurrence Status No. A. Sucking pests 1 Leafhoppers Amarasca bigutulla Cicadellidae: Hemiptera Active throughout Major bigutulla Ishida year 2 Aphids Aphis gossypii Glover Aphididae: Homoptera May - November Localized 3 Thrips Thrips tabaci L Thripidae:Thysanoptera May - September Major 4 Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Genn. Aleurodidae: Hemiptera December - February Major 5 Mealy bug Phenacoccus solenopsis Pseudococcidae: November to January Major Tinsley Hemiptera

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6 Red cotton bug Dysdercus koenigii Fab. Pyrrhocoridae:Hemiptera Active throughout Minor year 7 Dusky cotton Oxycarenus hyalipennis Lygaeidae : Hemiptera November - January Minor bug Costa. B. Foliage feeders 8 Tobacco Spodoptera litura Fab. Noctuidae: Active throughout Major (NBt) caterpillar year 9 Leaf roller Sylepta derogate Fab. Pyraustidae: Lepidoptera May- September Minor 10 Semi-looper flava Fab. Noctuidae: Lepidoptera June - September Minor 11 Stem borer Sphenoptera gossypii Cotes Buprestidae: Coleoptera - Negligible

12 Grey weevil Myllocerus Curculionidae: April – June Occasional undecimpustulatus Coleoptera 13 Leaf miner Liriomyza trifolii Burgess Agromyzidae: Diptera June – August Minor 14 Gujarat hairy Amsacta moorei Butler Arctiidae: Lepidoptera June – September Occasional caterpillar C. Bollworms 15 Spotted Earias vitella Fab. Noctuidae: Lepidoptera Active throughout Major(NBt) bollworm year 16 American Helicoverpa armigera Noctuidae: Lepidoptera Active throughout Major (NBt) bollworm Hubner year 17 Pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella Gelechidae: Lepidoptera Active in Aug-Nov. Major (NBt Saunders & Bt)

Insect Nutrition: The science that interprets the the main component. The quality and morphology of interaction of nutrients and other substances in food insects affected so much by nitrogen. Decreased amount about maintenance, growth and reproduction of an insect. of nitrogen application resulted in a lower incidence of It includes food intake, assimilation, biosynthesis, immature and adult silver leaf whitefly, Bemisia catabolism and excretion. Optimal nutrition involves a argentifolii. Application of organic amendments viz., complex interplay between feeding behaviour and post– Neem cake along with low nitrogen application in injective processing of food balanced fertilization (45:30:30 NPK kg/ha) significantly reduced the sucking pests and prevent the yield loss. Split Nutritional requirements of Insects application of N increases gene expression and Carbohydrates: Source of energy eg: Hydrolyzing Chlorophyll content and decreases pest population. A polysaccharides. higher dose of N provides Greater variation in gene Proteins and amino acid: Enzymes, morphogenesis eg: expression and causes mortality of various instars of Tyrosine (Cuticular sclerotization), tryptophan (visual pest’s population. screening pigment). Lipids: Fatty acids, phospholipids and sterols are the Pest management through Phosphorus: Changes in components of the cell wall. secondary metabolites such as phenolics and terpenes. Vitamins: Necessary for fecundity, spermatogenesis and Accumulation of phenolics (tannin, lignin) acts as a reproduction. barrier having deterring (antifeedent) or directly toxic Minerals: Important in hardening the cuticle of (insecticidal) effects on herbivores. Phenolics interfere mandibles in many insects e.g. Fe, Mn, etc. with digestion, slow growth, block enzyme activity and

Influence of NPK on Insects cell division. Terpenes like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, terpene polymers interfere with the Pest management through Nitrogen: Concentrations of neural transmission, block phosphorylation. primary and secondary (plant defence-related) metabolites in the plant shoots get modified. Proper Pest management through Potassium: A high dose of application of nitrogen fertilizers would be beneficial to potassium decreases nitrogen uptake. Adversely affect manage insect herbivores such as cotton aphid. the biology and behaviour of insects. An increase in Insecticidal crystal (Cry) protein consists of nitrogen as potassium decreases the intake and assimilation of food. August 2020 │Volume: 1, Issue: 8│Page 71

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An excessive amount of potassium causes quantitative sucking pest’s population reduced by balanced nutrition changes in nutrients and all elo-chemicals. Potassium provides optimum yield and reduces. (El-Zahi, et al., increases fibre length ant lint quality so that pest attack is 2012) less. They strongly influence the chemical composition of the plant and play an important role in suppressing the Conclusion population Cotton is cultivated in varied climate and soil types with a mono-cropping approach in India due to economic cash crops. As per the soil type, texture and structure, nutrient uptake by the plant have differed in rain-fed and irrigated cotton. Based on regional suitability balanced fertilizer use is recommended in cotton. The application at the recommended rate based on soil tests provided optimum growth and development of plants and normal pest pressure. The above literature revealed that NPK played an indirect role in insect pest Figure 1. Nutrient Chain from Plants to Herbivores management. The excess use of nitrogen increased the (Source: Effect of plant nutrition in insect pest infestation of aphids, leafhopper, thrips and whiteflies management: A review Bala, et al., 2018) whereas potassium reduced the infestation. In future pest in cotton can successfully be managed by using organic Examples manures/amendments and applied it with inorganic 1) Aphis gossypii: Lowest mean generation time, highest fertilizers, So that it reduces pesticide requirement and finite rate of increase when fed on nitrogenous fertilizer provide a higher benefit. (Rostami, et al., 2011) 2) Bemisia tabaci incidence decreases in cotton when Reference more porous fertilizer applied. (Bala, et al., 2018) Bala, K., Sood, A. K., Pathania, V. S., and Thakur, S. 3) Nitrogen application along with phosphorous and/or (2018). Effect of plant nutrition in insect pest potash applied as the inorganic source or in combination management: A review Journal of Pharmacognosy with organic amendments found to increase the and Phytochemistry, 7(4), 2737-2742. El-Zahi, E. S., Arif S. A., Jehan, B. A. E. and Madeha, E. leafhopper population so from this we can conclude that H. E. (2012). Inorganic fertilization of cotton increased incidence of the sucking pests in plots applied field-plants in relation to sucking insects and yield with higher levels on nitrogen might be due to increased production components of cotton plants 8(2), 509- auxin content of the plants under heavy nitrogenous 517. manuring. (Rajaram and Siddeswaran 2006) Rajaram, V. and Siddeswaran, K. (2006). Effect of 4) The influence of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium organic amendments and inorganic fertilizers application alone at their recommended rates and in against the cotton leafhoppers. International Journal of Agricultural Science. combinations on the population densities of Jassid, Rostami, M., Zamani, A.A., Goldasteh, S., Shoushtari, R. Impoasca spp.; cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover and V. and Kheradmand, K. (2011). Influence of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius infesting cotton nitrogen fertilization on biology of Aphis gossypii plants and indicated the importance of these balance use (Hemiptera: Aphididae) reared on Chrysanthemum of nitrogen and phosphorous in addition to potassium one indicum (Asteraceae). Journal of Plant Protection in ideal growth of cotton plants to produce the highest Research, 52(1). green bolls/plant and reduced the pest densities. The

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