Integrated Pest Management in Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench), frequently known as lady.s finger or bhendi belonging to family Malvaceae, is an important warm season vegetable crop cultivated comprehensively in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Okra is native to Ethiopia (Vavilov, 1951). It is a short duration crop propagated through seeds, cherished for its tender and scrumptious green fruits used in curries, soups or in canned, dehydrated or frozen forms for off-season consumption (Neeraja et al., 2004). Okra is more remunerative than the leafy vegetables. The roots and stems are useful for clearing cane juice from which gur or jaggery is prepared (Chauhan, 1972). Its ripe seeds are roasted, ground and used as a substitute for coffee in Turkey (Mehta, 1959). Fruits have high nutritive value containing proteins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene and vitamins A, B and C (Singh, 1970) which are very useful against genito-urinary disorders, spermatorrhoea and chronic dysentery (Nandkarni, 1927).