EJBR2019v9i4art259 ISSN 2449-8955 European Journal of Biological Research Research Article European Journal of Biological Research 2019; 9(4): 259-266 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3551585 Lac, Kerria lacca rearing on Flemingia macrophylla with NPK fertilizer: impact on plant growth, lac yield, and lac parasitisation Arvind Kumar1*, Manju Rani 2 1 Forest Protection Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun-248006 (Uttarakhand), India 2 Institute of Forest Productivity, Ranchi (Jharkhand), India *Correspondence: Phone: +91-135-2224281; E-mail: arvind.ento@gmail.com Received: 22 September 2019; Revised submission: 06 November 2019; Accepted: 18 November 2019 http://www.journals.tmkarpinski.com/index.php/ejbr Copyright: © The Author(s) 2019. Licensee Joanna Bródka, Poland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) ABSTRACT: Lac insect, Kerria lacca Kerr. is the only commercial lac producing insect in the world. This tiny insect reared commercially on many specific host plants. Lac product is a natural resin of outstanding properties which is utilized in many products worldwide. Lac insects get settled on the host tree and take their nutrition continuously from the same part. Hence, additional fertilizer application becomes most important component for sustainable host plant growth and lac cultivation. Therefore, to determine the effect of chemical fertilizers (NPK) on Flemingia macrophylla and lac productivity, present study has been conducted. The result revealed that chemical fertilizer combination N15:P5:K5 was found to be the best for Flemingia macrophylla growth which gives best lac yield and least pest infestation on Kerria lacca. The correlation study has also proved that NPK has positively influences on plant growth and lac productivity. Keywords: Flemingia macrophylla; Kerria lacca; Soil nutrient; Parasitoids; Eublemma amabilis; Predator; Bhalia. 1. INTRODUCTION Kerria lacca Kerr. (Hemiptera: Coccidae) is also called as lac insect in the world and produces a natural resin. Lac resin is the only commercial natural resin of economic importance secreted by K. lacca, which has many outstanding properties; hence has demand throughout the world. Lac resin is a lac gland secretion of K. lacca which become hardened in contact with air [1]. Lac is considered as a miner forest produce but has significant contribution in tribal economy lac producing states of India [2]. India is leading lac producer and exporter [3] globally sharing about 60 percent world’s lac production followed by Thailand [4]. Lac resin has versatile properties which make its hues demand in electronic, food, medicine, cosmetics, furniture and many other industries [5]. The tribal communities of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are conventionally engaged in K. lacca rearing on natural host plants viz. Ziziphus mauritiana, Butea monosperma and Schleichera oleosa. A significant population reduction in these natural hosts has been observed in the past decades [6]; due to climatic and biotic factors; subsequently, lac production has also been declined drastically. Therefore, Flemingia macrophylla (Papilionaceae: Kumar & Rani Kerria lacca, Flemingia macrophylla, NPK fertilizer: plant growth, lac yield, lac parastisation 260 European Journal of Biological Research 2019; 9(4): 259-266 Laguminosae) (Willd.) Kuntze Ex Merr., has been introduces for K. lacca rearing. F. macrophylla is a fast growing perennial shrub of short height and produce tender shoots, easy to manage and showed great potential as a K. lacca host, has been utilized to sustainable increase in K. lacca rearing and lac production [7- 10]. F. macrophylla was found to be a potential K. lacca host plant for it’s both 'kusumi' and 'rangeeni' strains [11-13] K. lacca population loss due to insect predation was recorded about 40% [14] and due to parasitoids about 18.40% in kusmi and 26% in rangeeni strain [15] has been recorded. This loss caused by insect predator and parasitoids has been addressed by many means, but in this study emphasis has also been given to assess the effect of NPK on K. lacca insect predation and parasitisation in addition to plant growth and lac yield. It was recorded application of chemical fertilizer for better plant growth and development was found to be very effective. Subsequently, nitrogen fertilizer supply in host plants positively influence the sucking pest population, phosphorus gives indifferent effect, but potash recorded as negative impact on mealy bug population [16] and also of K. lacca [17], but no study has been undertaken to assessment the effect of NPK on K. lacca. Hence, to promote the F. macrophylla for K. lacca rearing and fetch a great lac yield, present study has been conducted with NPK application on F. macrophylla. NPK effect has been assessed on host plant growth, K. lacca shell development, lac yield and lac insect pest infestation. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS This experiment was carried out at research campus, Institute of Forest Productivity (IFP) Ranchi, India (Latitude 23021’26”N, longitude 84014’44”E). The seeds of plants were brought from IINRG, Ranchi, India and nursery was raised at the Institute of Forest Productivity. Environmental condition parameters viz. average temperature, relative humidity and rainfall of the lac cultivation period is presented in Table 1. The seedlings were planted at the distance row to row 1.5 m and plant to plant 1.0 m. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design (RBD) manner with nine treatments of chemical fertilizers N, P & K at different combinations viz.T1=N5:P15:K5; T2=N15:P5:K5; T3=N15:P10:K15; T4=N5:P5:K10; T5=N10:P15:K10; T6=N10:P15:K5; T7=N10:P10:K10; T8=N15:P10:K5; T9=N5:P5:K5 and along with a control. Two months old twelve seedlings were planted in each treatment and were replicated thrice. Fertilizers treatment was applied in July and February months followed by irrigation twice in a year. All the recommended basic cultivation practice viz. irrigation and weeding [18] were done regularly. After one year, ‘Kusmi’ 20 gm brood lac per plant was inoculated in the month of July. Table 1. Environmental parameters (average) of lac cultivation location (2012-2014). Months Temperature (0C) Humidity (%) Rainfall (mm) July 27.11 74.14 385.00 August 26.31 77.97 564.33 September 25.00 70.00 638.83 October 22.10 63.17 529.50 November 18.73 63.17 268.67 December 15.18 56.17 274.50 January 15.14 56.67 405.33 February 19.05 55.83 410.50 Five plants were randomly selected and plant growth data was recorded at two months of interval till lac harvesting. Plant parts along with lac incrustation were collected at monthly interval and brought to the Kumar & Rani Kerria lacca, Flemingia macrophylla, NPK fertilizer: plant growth, lac yield, lac parastisation 261 European Journal of Biological Research 2019; 9(4): 259-266 laboratory and reared for predator E. amabilis, P. pulverea and parasitoids infestation observation. Host plant was harvested at lac maturity in the month of February. Three randomly selected plants out of five selected host plant, encrusted with lac insects were recorded for lac yield. Subsequently, same harvested lac yields were used for stick lac and scrap lac yield observations. Twenty lac insect shells were randomly removed from four plants and weight have been recorded just before hatching of nymphs. Data was statistically analysis with one way ANOVA (analysis of variance) to drown the result and significant differences were calculated at P = 0.05. To find out the relation among plant growth, lac yield and parasitoids and predator infestation, correlation analysis was done using the SPSS 21.0 statistical package. 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The data of experiment recorded are presented in tables and described as follows: 3.1. F. macrophylla plant growth and lac yield The data presented in Table 2 revealed that maximum growth of the host plant was observed (243.50 cm) in T2=N15:P5:K5 was significantly superior followed by T3=N15:P10:K15 (228.67 cm) over control (136.33 cm). Table 2. Effect of chemical fertilizer on F. macrophylla and lac yield. Treatments Plant height Brood lac yield Stick lac Scrap lac Shell wt. T1=N5:P15:K5 216.89 502.11 115.09 20.13 0.0392 T2=N15:P5:K5 243.5 659.33 127.36 36.25 0.0482 T3=N15:P10:K15 228.67 533.94 102.01 26.36 0.0451 T4=N5:P5:K10 220.00 448.72 95.79 20.90 0.0422 T5=N10:P15:K10 197.17 399.22 86.02 17.02 0.0393 T6=N10:P15:K5 209.78 387.44 83.77 14.74 0.0417 T7=N10:P10:K10 202.72 597.33 136.7 24.34 0.0467 T8=N15:P10:K5 210.39 420.83 85.75 14.35 0.0453 T9=N5:P5:K5 202.94 368.78 84.97 16.89 0.0462 T10= control 136.33 249.33 58.97 7.8 0.0322 SEM± 11.53 294.15 16.65 3.62 0.0031 CD at 5% 30.89 105.12 51.24 10.83 0.0091 Brood lac yield was found to be maximum (659.33 g/plant) in T2=N15:P5:K5 significantly higher, followed by T7=N10:P10:K10 (597.33 g/plant) over control (249.33 g), But, stick lac was maximum recovered in T7=N10:P10:K10 (136.7 g) followed by T2=N15:P5:K5 (127.36 g) over control (58.97 g). Scrap lac yield was maximum found in T2=N15:P5:K5 (36.25 g), followed by T3=N15:P10:K15 (26.36 g) over control (7.80 g). Lac shell weight was highest recorded in T2=N15:P5:K5 (0.0482 g) followed by T7=N10:P10:K10 (0.0467 g) over control (0.0322 g). In this study, fertilizer combination supplied with maximum nitrogen and least phosphorus and potash has obtained the maximum growth. It seems that nitrogen increases the plant succulence, additionally, potassium application in soil increased water uptake and reduces dry matter per cent in plant shoot [19] and make the plant more succulent which favours lac insect feeding and growth. The findings of [20] confirmed that nutrient management of lac host trees increased the lac production. K. lacca insect has obtained the maximum yield [21] shell weight reared on Zizyphus mauritiana [22]; and in F. semialata applied with NPK Kumar & Rani Kerria lacca, Flemingia macrophylla, NPK fertilizer: plant growth, lac yield, lac parastisation 262 European Journal of Biological Research 2019; 9(4): 259-266 in combination [6]. Additionally, the findings of Burn [23] argued that, lettuce plant growth was positively related to N concentration while, K and P concentration was linearly related. In the same treatment plants has given the best brood lac, scrap lac yield and lac shell weight. This may be because of treatment supplied with maximum nitrogen which has made the plant more succulent and susceptible to the lac insects feeding. This finding of previous worker says that nitrogen fertilizer positively influences the plant growth and herbivores [24], nitrogen fertilizer which increases the survival ability of plant and to recover from herbivore feeding [25-27]. The increasing supply of N fertilizer in Larrea tridentate and other plants plant increases the amount of nutrients availability for insect and also increase the population of sucking insect pests [25, 28-30]. Similarly, increase in soluble nitrogen in leaf tissue, increases the fecundity and developmental rates of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae [31] and leafhopper [32]. Increasing application of phosphorus fertilizer negatively influences the leafhopper population and reduces the sucking pest population in paddy [32-35]; mealy bug on and T. telarius mite population [16, 36]. Minimum level of potash supported the lac growth in my study this may be because potash fertilizer increases water intake and reduces the dry matter content in the plant and, similar to potassium at enhanced doses induced resistance to rice against leafhopper and negative effect of K was also noticed on M. persicae aphid and on leafhopper population in rice [34-36]. 3.2. Predation and parasitisation on K. lacca Table 3 reveled that minimum infestation of predator P. pulverea was recorded in T2=N15:P5:K5 (1.87/4 cm), followed by T4=N5:P5:K10 (2.00/4 cm) over control (2.89/4 cm). While, least infestation (non- significant) of Eublemma amabilis (1.53/4 cm) was recorded in T2=N15:P5:K5, followed by T3=N15:P10:K15 (1.58/4 cm), over control (2.00 larvae/4 cm). Chemical fertilizer nutrient combination T2=N15:P5:K5 was recorded significantly least parasitoids infestation (11.06/cm), followed by T7=N10:P10:K10 (12.78/cm), over control (19.94 parasitoids/cm). Table 3. Effect of chemical fertilizer on predator and parasitoids of K. lacca. Treatments P. pulverea population/4 cm E. amabilis population/4 cm Parasitoids T1=N5:P15:K5 2.33 1.64 14.67 T2=N15:P5:K5 1.87 1.53 11.06 T3=N15:P10:K15 2.39 1.58 14.89 T4=N5:P5:K10 2.00 1.86 15.78 T5=N10:P15:K10 2.19 1.70 16.11 T6=N10:P15:K5 2.18 1.71 15.17 T7=N10:P10:K10 2.49 1.73 12.78 T8=N15:P10:K5 2.38 1.83 14.89 T9=N5:P5:K5 2.15 1.72 15.72 T10= control 2.89 2.00 19.94 SEM± 0.23 0.27 1.63 CD at 5% 0.66 0.77 3.86 The similar findings were also recorded by Kumar [6] where it was revealed that fertilizer combination with more nitrogen received less parasitoids and predator infestation in lac insect. Similarly, increasing nitrogen doses suppresses the activity of parasitic wasps of cereal aphid was recorded [37] and negatively affected the predator/pest ratio [38]. Kumar & Rani Kerria lacca, Flemingia macrophylla, NPK fertilizer: plant growth, lac yield, lac parastisation 263 European Journal of Biological Research 2019; 9(4): 259-266 3.3. Correlation study Chemical fertilizer NPK application influences the plant growth, which was positively correlated (table 4) with brood lac yield (0.789), stick lac yield (0.672), scrap lac yield (0.800) and lac shell weight (0.788). Similarly, brood lac yield production showed positive correlation with stick lac yield (0.952), scrap lac yield (0.941) and lac shell weight (0.727), but negatively correlated with P. pulverea (-0.482); E. amabilis infestation(-0.758) and parasitoids infestation (-0.932). Similarly, stick lac yield was positively correlated with scrap lac yield (0.835), shell weight (0.653) and infestation of P. pulverea, E. amabilis predators and parasitoids was negatively correlated (-0.385); (-0.667) and (-0.888), subsequently. Shell weight was found to be negatively and significant correlation with P. pulverea (-0.604), E. amabilis infestation (-0.621) and parasitoids infestation (-0.868), but the parasitoids infestation was found to be positively correlation with E. amabilis infestation (0.777) and P. pulverea (0.631). Table 4. Correlation between plant growth, lac production and insect pest infestation on K. lacca. Correlation matrix Brood lac Stick lac Scrap lac Shell weight P. pulverea /4 cm E. amabilis /4 cm Parasitoids /cm Plant height 0.789 0.672 0.800 0.788 -0.807 -0.801 -0.843 Brood lac 0.952 0.941 0.727 -0.482 -0.758 -0.931 Stick lac 0.835 0.653 -0.385 -0.667 -0.888 Scrap lac 0.709 -0.607 -0.795 -0.865 Shell weight -0.604 -0.621 -0.846 P. pulverea/4 cm 0.583 0.631 E. amabilis/4 cm 0.777 Parasitoids/cm 0 An experiment conducted for lac rearing on F. semialata resulted same correlation [6] and it has also proved that application of phosphorus, negatively influences the leafhopper population and reduce the sucking pest population in paddy [32-35]. 4. CONCLUSION Each organism on the planet need energy for their developments, similarly, plant fulfils their nutritional requirements from the soil for their survival, growth and propagation. Sometimes, soil become inefficient to supply required nutrient to the plant in this condition additional nutrient required to be apply in the soil in form of chemical fertilizer or other means. And, if any other insect is drawing food from the plant then, additional nutrient application become critical for plant survival. In this study, host F. macrophylla was grown with additional nitrogen, phosphorus and potash has obtained the maximum growth. But maximum lac yield was recovered in least P and K treatment. This may be due to effect of nitrogen, which increases the plant growth and made the plant more succulent and favorable for insect feeding. Subsequently, potash increases the water uptake and reduced the dry matter content in the plant. Hence, it may be recommended that rearing of K. lacca on F. macrophylla should be applied with additional NPK to get better lac yield and less K. lacca insect pest infestation. 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