Population dynamics of sucking insect pests infesting rainfed groundnut

Abstract

This experiment was conducted in Kharif 2019 at the Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, to investigate the population dynamics of sucking insect pests of groundnut. The population dynamics of aphid ( Aphis craccivora Koch), jassid (Empoasca kerri Pruthi), and thrips ( Caliothrips indicus Bangall) concerning weather conditions in a crop cycle. Aphid populations ranged from 0.96 to 7.44/2 cm shoot/plant, peaking at the 9 th week and declining towards crop maturity. Correlations revealed a significant negative relationship with bright sunshine hours, and positive correlations with humidity, minimum temperature and rain, while showing negative associations with maximum temperature and wind velocity. Jassid populations ranged from 0.52 to 7.32/3 leaves/plant, following a similar trend to aphids and displaying correlations with weather variables, notably positive associations with humidity and negative ones with sunshine hours, maximum temperature and wind velocity. Thrips populations ranged from 0.48 to 5.72/3 leaves/plant, with correlations paralleling those of aphids and jassids, showcasing sensitivity to weather parameters. This comprehensive analysis illustrates the interplay between pest populations and weather conditions throughout the crop cycle