SURVEILLANCE AND EVALUATION OF CLIMATIC FACTORS ON VARIETAL SCREENING AGAINST APHID POPULATION IN WHEAT

Abstract

Aphids, as notorious pests in wheat cultivation, pose a significant threat to crop yield and quality. The dynamics of aphid populations in wheat fields are intricately linked to various climatic factors, making it crucial to understand and manipulate these interactions for effective pest management. This research presents a comprehensive study that combines surveillance and varietal screening to assess the impact of climatic variables on aphid populations in wheat crops. The study was conducted over growing seasons 2022-23, involving the systematic collection of data from wheat fields exposed to varying climatic conditions. These data were then analyzed to investigate the relationship between climatic factors, such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall, and aphid infestations. Additionally, varietal screening was performed to identify wheat cultivars with varying levels of resistance or susceptibility to aphids. The interactions between specific wheat varieties and aphid populations under different climatic conditions were evaluated. This information provides valuable insights into selecting appropriate wheat cultivars that can mitigate aphid-related losses. The survey findings indicate that the aphid population on various wheat varieties exhibited a range of infestation levels. Specifically, aphid populations were observed to vary between 8.7 and 10.7 aphids per tiller on Faisalabad-08, 7.2 and 11.3 aphids per tiller on Ujala-16, 7.9 and 12.2 aphids per tiller on Anaj-17, 7.7 and 9.2 aphids per tiller on Akbar-19, 7.3 and 11.4 aphids per tiller on Dilkash-21, 7.9 and 11.5 aphids per tiller on Subhani-21, and 8.8 and 10.6 aphids per tiller on MH-21, respectively. The findings of this study reveal the complex interplay between climatic factors and aphid population dynamics in wheat fields. Aphid population was maximum (1382.39/trap/week), when maximum and minimum temperature was 28.02 ℃ and 14.0 ℃, respectively with relative humidity 80.83% and 49.62% at 8am and 5pm, respectively. However, for varietal screening of 14 wheat varieties and advance lines, the lowest aphid population was recorded on wheat varieties/lines viz., Arooj-22(4.311), HYT-74(4.378), Dilkash-21(4.433), V-19308(4.778) and HYT-76 (4.789), and these were statistically at par with each other. While maximum aphid population was observed on V-19532 (12.711) followed by V-19317(11.433), V-19559 (10.711), V-19317 (11.433), V-19347 (10.244), Akbar-19 (7.656), and Subhani-21 (6.044). Overall, this manuscript contributes to the body of knowledge on integrated pest management strategies in wheat farming, emphasizing the importance of both surveillance and varietal screening in mitigating aphid-related threats in the face of changing climate patterns.