Advances in Crop Science and Technology
Open Access

Abstract

The present investigation on Abundance of natural enemies associated with Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) in maize based planting system was carried out at Instructional farm and Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur. Maize variety Pratap maize-5 was sown with different intercrops viz., green gram, black gram, cowpea and soyabean in kharif, 2017. The coccinellids appeared in first week of August and thereafter gradually increased with aphid population reaching to its peak in second week of September, 2017. The maximum seasonal mean population of coccinellids was recorded in maize + cowpea (5.09 aphids/ plant). The mean population of coccinellids had a significant positive correlation with mean atmospheric temperature in all the intercrop treatments. The predation of aphids by the larval population of syrphid fly maggots was observed from the first week of August, in the maize + greengram, maize + blackgram and maize + cowpea; while, in sole maize and maize + soybean the predation began in second week of August. The maximum seasonal mean population of syrphid fly maggots was recorded in maize + cowpea (2.00 maggots/ plant).

Biography

E-mail: mkmahla@yahoo.co.in