INTERCROPPING OF WHEAT AND OILSEED CROPS REDUCES WHEAT APHID, SITOBION AVENAE (FABRICIUS) (HEMIPTERA: APHIDIDAE) INCIDENCES: A FIELD STUDY

摘要

A study was conducted in the Directorate of Pest Warning and Quality Control of Pesticides,Punjab, Lahore, during the year (2016-17). The area selected for this study was Chak No. 165/RB, Chak Jhumra, Faisalabad. In this study the impact of oilseed intercropping with wheat onpopulation incidences of wheat aphid was tested. Layout system was a randomized completeblock design. The results showed the lowest aphid population (20 aphids/tiller) was observedwhere Brassica campestris was intercropped with wheat because the predator populationdominantly manipulated the aphids at early stages. The highest population of aphid (90 aphids/tiller) was recorded where Brassica juncea was intercropped followed by control treatment (88aphids/tiller with no intercropping. The predator population in B. campestris treatment (0.93predators/tiller) was found significantly higher than all other intercropping treatments. The lowestpopulation of predators (0.13 predators/tiller) was observed when B. napus was intercropped withwheat. So, it is recommended that B. campestris intercropping with wheat should be encouragedamong farmers to maximize the wheat crop profit by reducing aphid population incidence.