Ludhiana, June 3 -- With rising temperatures and dry weather creating favourable conditions for pest attacks, experts at Punjab Agricultural University have cautioned vegetable growers about the increasing threat of mite infestations in summer crops such as okra, brinjal and cucumber.

Paramjit Kaur, senior acarologist, and Manmeet Brar Bhullar, principal acarologist, from the department of entomology, said that the prolonged warm season, coupled with dusty and poorly irrigated field conditions, is accelerating the spread of spider mites across vegetable-growing areas of Punjab. Although mites remain active throughout the year, their populations and the damage they cause reach peak levels during May and June, posing a serious challenge to...