Growth, development and nutritional indices of tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (F) raised on bell pepper plants grown under elevated CO2 and temperature conditions


 The experiment was conducted at experimental farm situated 30◦5’N latitude and about 77◦11’E longitudes, an elevation of 1260 m above mean sea level Department Environmental Science, Dr YS Parmar University Horticulture Forestry Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh during 2014 2015, to study the effect elevated CO2 (eCO2) temperature (eT) on growth, development nutritional indices Spodopteralitura bell pepper plant. Feeding trials with foliage feeding insect S. litura using plants grown under four concentrations temperature, viz. three Open Top Chambers, (T1: OTC eCO2 550±10 ppm; T2: 1°C higher T3: ambient T4: natural air in open. Biochemical analysis revealed that had lower nitrogen. larvae fed as well exhibited greater consumption compared CO2. Larval duration also increased by two days. more digestible values approximate digestibility. relative rate whereas efficiency parameters, conversion ingested food (ECI), digested (ECD), growth (RGR) decreased temperature. weight gain were negatively significantly influenced leaf nitrogen.