Study on Species Richness of Aphid through Integrated Pest Management

Abstract
| Yellow moericke and sticky traps are important tools of integrated pest management (IPM), which act as indicators of population trends and fluctuation of flying insects. These traps were evaluated at different growth stages of wheat (seedling, tillering and dough stage) and trap height (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 meter) on the basis of mean aphid collection and species richness. Results indicated that population appeared in the standard week (SW) 52 of 1 st year to SW 18 of 2 nd year in both traps. Population peaks in the yellow moericke traps (YMT) and sticky trap (YST) were found during SW 08-14 and SW 10-14, respectively. The YMTs were 50 % more effective due to their higher attraction and killing rate of aphids as compared to the YSTs. The efficiency of attraction depends upon the size, shape, and height of trap, as well as the abiotic factors affecting them. To achieve ideal trap efficacy their height should be adjusted according to the crop growth stage. It is very important to keep traps just above the crop canopy. Traps at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 meter heights were more effective at seedling, tillering and dough stages, respectively. The population in the traps was correlated with the average temperature (⁰ С ) and humidity (%). Temperature had positive and significant correlation with population captured in the traps while humidity had negative and non-significant correlation with per unit population attraction. There was no significant difference of correlation between the traps attraction and years. Temperature and humidity had 47 and 0.9, 53 and 13 % impact on per unit population change in the YMT during 2019 and 2020, respectively. While in YST temperature and humidity had 55 and 0.7, 83 and 5 % impact on per unit population change during 2019 and 2020, respectively. These traps were installed in the wheat field where it attracted 14 species of aphid. Two new species Aphis nerii and Aphis fabae were reported in the agro ecological zone of Bhakkar having active periods SW 18-22 and SW 03-07, respectively. Yellow moericke traps are highly recommended to use as indicator as well as control tool of all important aphid species of wheat crop.