Seasonal incidence of sucking pests viz., Aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) and leaf hoppers, Cicadulina sp. infesting maize crop at Raipur (Chhattisgarh)

Abstract

The field experiment were conducted at Research Cum Instructional Farm at IGKV, Raipur (C.G.) during kharif 2018, to know the seasonal incidence of sucking pests viz., aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis and leaf hopper, Cicadulina sp. infesting maize crop. The aphids appeared during 35th SMW i.e. 4th week of August with a mean population of 0.74 aphids/cm2 leaf area. The peak population were observed in the fourth week of September with a mean population of 9.4 aphids/cm2 leaf area. Thereafter, the population declined gradually and reached to a minimum level of 0.75 aphids/cm2 leaf area during 4th week of October (42nd SMW). The leaf hoppers, Cicadulina sp. appeared during 35th SMW i.e., 4th week of August with a mean population of 0.48 adults/plant. The peak population were observed in the fourth week of September with a mean population of 36 adults/plant. Thereafter, the population declined and reached to its minimum levels of 1.56 adults/plant. The correlation between leaf hopper, Cicadulina sp. and abiotic parameters during kharif 2018 results indicated that the population demonstrated a highly significant positive correlation with minimum temperature (r= 0.727). While, leaf hoppers population showed significant but negative correlation with morning relative humidity (r= -0.658) and also showed significant but negative correlation with evening relative humidity (r= -0.615).