Effect of weather parameters on population dynamics of green leaf hopper and white backed plant hopper in paddy grown in middle Gujarat region

Abstract

Nephotettix virescens Distant and Sogatella furcifera (Horv) commonly known as Green leaf hopper (GLH) and White backed plant hopper (WBPH) respectively. These are the serious pests of kharif paddy all over the world causing extensive losses. The population dynamics of Green leaf hopper and white backed plant hopper for ten consecutive years (1994 to 2004) except for 1997 were correlated with the weather parameters like maximum and minimum temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and bright sunshine hours. The results revealed that the bright sunshine hours had a positive significant correlation (r=0.166) with the population dynamics of GLH. The correlation between WBPH peak population and bright sunshine hours also showed positive significantcorrelation (r=0.269), while maximum temperature, minimum temperature, rainfall and relative humidity showed non-significant effect on population build up of both GLH and WBPH. Green leaf hopper attained peak population during 43rdstandard meteorological week; whereas white backed plant hopper reached peak population during 39th standard meteorological week and decreased considerably thereafter.