Sentinel egg card studies for resident egg-parasitoids harbouring horticultural crops of IARI, New Delhi campus

Abstract

One thousand three hundred and sixty sentinel egg cards were prepared from eggs of rice grain moth. These were fixed for parasitisation and ultimately for evaluation of the diversity of resident egg-parasitoids among the twenty three horticultural crops planted in IARI campus. DNA barcode studies were also carried out to confirm the identity of recovered egg-parasitoids. Egg parasitoids could be reared only from seven crops i.e. guava, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, knol-khol, lettuce, and tomato. Among the fruit crops, egg-parasitoid, Trichogrammatoidea sp. was found in guava. While in vegetable crops, Trichogramma chilonis was observed in tomato, lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower. Egg-parasitoid, Trichogramma achaeae was recorded in tomato, knol-khol and cabbage.