Decoding Aphid Outbreaks: Impact of sowing windows and mustard varietal diversity on the population fluctuations of Mustard Aphid (Lipaphis erysimi)
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Mustard aphid ( Lipaphis erysimi Kalt.) is a key insect pest of mustard, causing heavy losses by sap-sucking and transmitting viral diseases. The present study was conducted to investigate the influence of sowing dates and mustard varieties on aphid population build-up under field conditions at the research farm of Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, during the Rabi season of 2023–2024. The experiment was conducted in FRBD (Factorial randomized block design) with three replications having two factors. First factor comprised of three dates of sowing: Early sowing-D 1 (15th October), Mid sowing-D 2 (30th October) and Late sowing- D 3 (15th November). whereas the second factor consists of five Indian mustard varieties viz; {V 1 (GSC-07), V 2 (Laxmi-846), V 3 (Durgamani), V 4 (Gujarat Mustard-2), and V 5 (RH-119)}. Aphid populations were recorded at regular intervals from initiation (52nd SMW) (Standard meteorological week) until decline (15th SMW). Results revealed significant differences among varieties and sowing dates. Early-sown crops (D 1 ) generally escaped severe infestation, while late-sown crops (D 3 ) harboured the highest aphid populations. Resistant/tolerant varieties, Durgamani(V 3 ) and RH-119 (V 5 ) showed consistently lower infestation compared to susceptible ones Gujarat-Mustard 2 (V 4 ), GSC-07 (V 1 ) and Laxmi-846 (V 2 ). The study revealed that both sowing time and varietal differences significantly affected aphid incidence. Early sowing consistently resulted in lower aphid populations, whereas delayed sowing encouraged higher infestations due to synchronization with favorable environmental conditions. Resistant varieties showed markedly lower aphid loads compared to susceptible types, suggesting the role of inherent morphological and biochemical defense mechanisms. These results highlight the importance of timely sowing and selection of tolerant varieties as vital agronomic strategies to suppress aphid incidence naturally and ensure sustainable mustard production under changing environmental conditions.
