Vol. 9, Issue 10, Part D (2025)

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is an important vegetable crop widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. In subsequent mentions throughout the manuscript, the crop is referred to as Abelmoschus esculentus. Weekly observations from Standard Weeks (S.W.) 30 to 42 during the Kharif seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24 revealed distinct trends in the population dynamics of four major insect pests on okra: red pumpkin beetle (Aulacophora foveicollis), Kharif grasshopper (Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus), semi looper (Anomis sp.), and tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera litura). Pest populations generally increased from S.W. 30, peaking around S.W. 38-40, before declining toward the end of the season (S.W. 41-42). Among the pests, the red pumpkin beetle and Kharif grasshopper recorded the highest population densities, especially between weeks 36 and 40. Semi looper and tobacco caterpillar populations were comparatively lower but followed a similar seasonal pattern. Notably, pest incidence was consistently higher in the 2023-24 season compared to 2022-23 for most species. Correlation analysis between pest populations and meteorological parameters indicated several significant relationships. Maximum temperature showed a strong negative correlation with red pumpkin beetle (-0.515**) and tobacco caterpillar (-0.128), while Kharif grasshopper populations had a significant negative correlation with both maximum (-0.543**) and minimum (-0.512) temperatures. Semi looper populations were negatively correlated with maximum temperature (-0.721**) and maximum humidity (-0.525**), suggesting that these factors may suppress its activity. Minimum humidity was negatively correlated with the red pumpkin beetle (-0.342**) and Kharif grasshopper (-0.495**), indicating that drier conditions may favor their proliferation. Interestingly, rainfall showed a positive correlation with semi looper (0.465) and tobacco caterpillar (0.622) in 2023-24, highlighting the influence of rainfall in stimulating larval development and activity in some pest species.

These findings underscore the importance of weather in shaping pest outbreaks and can serve as a foundation for developing predictive pest models and timely implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies in okra cultivation.