Biochemical changes in cotton plants due to infestation by cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

The study on biochemical changes in cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) due to infestation by cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) was conducted at CICR Nagpur during 2014-15. Total protein contents estimated from the shoots of the healthy plants (4.29 mg/g) indicated 50.5% increase over the healthy plants (2.85 mg/g). Total phenol content increased by 185.7% in the mealybug infested plants (0.20?g/g) over the healthy plants (0.07?g/g). Insignificant difference in the level of total soluble sugar was observed in mealybug infested plants (1.00?g/g) as compared to healthy plants (0.90?g/g). Total reducing sugar was found to be unaffected with the mealybug infestation. Although there was depletion in all the photosynthetic pigments viz., chlorophyll a (19.1%), chlorophyll b (23.7%), total chlorophyll (21.2%) and carotenoids (20.8%) due to the mealybug infestation, these values were not statistically different in the healthy plants. This is the first report on biochemical changes in cotton plant due to infestation of P. solenopsis