EFFECTS OF WEATHER PARAMETERS ON INCIDENCE OF SUCKING PESTS AND THEIR PREDATORS ON COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The current research work was design to evaluate the influence of environmental factors (wind speed, temperature and humidity) of various predators of sucking pests in Multan region of Southern Punjab, Pakistan. The research was conducted during the cotton growing season from 2014-2016. Numbers of eggs, adults of sucking pests i.e. thrips, dusky bugs, white fly, Jassid and their predators (Argiope, Geocoris, Chrysoperla) were numerated throughout the cropping season. Wind speed, temperature and humidity readings were taken from internet source and confirmed from meteorological department. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data and to find the significance of these parameters. The eggs and adults of thrips, dusky bug, Jassid and white fly were non significantly affected by the wind speed, temperature and humidity. These pests seemed to be less influenced by environmental factors at the study area. The present results showed that the eggs and adults of sucking pests remained unaffected by the environmental factors.