Explore the key aspects of jassid pests in tobacco crops, including identification, symptoms, lifecycle, and control measures. Sharpen your knowledge to better manage jassid infestations in agricultural settings.
Which insect is commonly known as the tobacco jassid that damages tobacco plants by sucking sap from leaves?
Explanation: Empoasca flavescens, also called the tobacco jassid, is a sap-sucking pest affecting tobacco. Spodoptera litura and Helicoverpa armigera are caterpillar pests, not jassids. Aphis gossypii is an aphid, which has a different feeding behavior and damage pattern.
What is a typical symptom of jassid infestation on tobacco leaves?
Explanation: Jassid feeding causes characteristic leaf curling and yellowing at the margins. Large holes are caused by chewing insects, mildew indicates fungal infection, and wilting is usually due to root or vascular issues.
Which life stage of the jassid directly causes the most feeding damage to tobacco leaves?
Explanation: Nymphs are active feeders and cause significant damage as they suck plant sap. Adults can also feed, but nymphs are more numerous. Eggs and pupae (though jassids do not have a pupal stage, which makes pupa incorrect) do not feed on plants.
Which environmental condition tends to favor a higher outbreak of jassid in tobacco crops?
Explanation: Jassids thrive and reproduce more rapidly in warm, dry conditions. Heavy rainfall and flooding reduce their population, while freezing temperatures are lethal to them.
Which one is a recommended cultural practice to reduce jassid infestation in tobacco?
Explanation: Using resistant varieties helps in long-term jassid management. Excess nitrogen can make plants more attractive to pests, over-watering may harm tobacco plants, and late sowing may expose crops to higher pest pressure.