Impact of Sowing Dates and Certain Climatic Factors on the Population Dynamics of Key Insect Pests of Maize Plants | ||||
| Journal of Plant Protection and Pathology | ||||
| Article 7, Volume 8, Issue 3, March 2017, Page 141-149 PDF (242.73 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jppp.2017.46171 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| Y. E. Y. Abdallah; L. A. Youssef | ||||
| Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The effects of four sowing dates (early of April, May, June and July) and three major climatic factors (means of maximum & minimum temperatures and percentage of relative humidity) on the seasonal abundance of three stem borers (Sesamia cretica Led., Chilo agamemnon (Bles.), Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn represented by larval content and Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch represented by total numbers of nymphs and adults) throughout two successive growing seasons 2014 and 2015 were investigated. The highest numbers of S. cretica larvae were found within April plantation with a peak on the 3rd week of May during both seasons; while maize plants sown on June and July were almost free of infestation. Maize plants sown on June and July were more liable to be attacked by C. agamemnon as compared to April and May sowing dates. Maize plants sown in April and May in both seasons were almost free from the infestation with O. nubilalis larvae. The highest numbers of R. maidis population was occurred for maize sown on July followed by those sown on June in both seasons. For June plantation, two peaks of abundance occurred on the last week of July and the 1st week of September, whereas only one peak was occurred on July plantation during the 1st week of September. The lowest numbers occurred on maize plants sown on May, while plants sown on April were free from aphid infestation. We concluded that sowing maize plants during May and June escapes from severe infestation with stem borers and aphids, however April plantation is almost free from infestation but its yield is very low. The effect of mean maximum and minimum temperatures during May plantation was significant negative on the changes in the population of S. cretica. Mean maximum temperature had a negative effect; while mean minimum temperature had a positive significant effect on the population dynamics of C. agamemnon during May plantation. The mean maximum temperature during May and June plantations on O. nubilalis larvae was significant; while the effect of mean minimum temperature was insignificant during both seasons of study. Means of minimum temperature during May and June plantations were positively significant on the changes of R. maidis population and the same trend was observed for R.H.%. It could be concluded that mean maximum and minimum temperatures are affecting the infestation with stem borers and mean minimum temperature and R.H% are the most factors affecting R. maidis population. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Sesamia cretica; Chilo agamemnon; Ostrinia nubilalis; Rhopalosiphum maidis; Maize; sowing dates; Population dynamics; weather factors | ||||
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