DefinePK

Abstract

The present study investigated the population dynamics of the brinjal shoot and fruit borer Leucinodes orbonalis Guen (Pyralidae: lepidoptera) (an important pest of brinjal crop in Pakistan) to know that how weather parameters affect the population of the pest. For this purpose, brinjal crop was grown in three selected districts i.e. Peshawar, Mardan and Charsadda of khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The population dynamics in terms of adults attracted to pheromone traps recorded fortnightly and were correlated with the maximum and minimum temperature (0C), % relative humidity and total rainfall. Results showed a significant (P<0.05) effect of all-weather parameters on population of L. orbonalis in different locations. Weather parameters contributed an average change in pest population ranged from 62.39 to 78.98% during 2011 and 57.82 to 82.49% during 2012 in all districts. Results also showed that mean maximum temperature had a significant positive correlation with population of L. orbonalis but non-significant positive correlation with mean minimum temperature and maximum relative humidity. Similarly a negative correlation with mean minimum relative humidity and total rain fall was recorded during both the years.
Keywords: Population dynamics; Leucinodes orbonalis; Peshawar valley
http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2017.600158