Nasir Masood1*, Muhammad Ashfaq1, Amjad Ali2, Muhammad Ahsan1 and Nazir Javed3
Three farmer’s fields of sugarcane of 10-15 Kilometer (Km) radius in environs of Chinar sugar Mills Faisalabad (CSMF) Ashraf Sugar Mills Bahawalpur (ASMB) and Jamal Din Wali Sugar Mills Rahim Yar Khan (RKSM) were selected to evaluate the fluctuation in whitefly population. The distance from one locality to other environs was 450 Km to 500 Km. The data were recorded at fortnight interval during the crop season in 2008 and 2009 from April to December by randomly selected twenty tillers/leaves from each field of an area of one hectare from each locality. The data were correlated with the ambient weather factors (temperature, humidity and rainfall). The population of whitefly (nymph and adult) varied significantly (P<0.05) among observation interval and localities. The whitefly appeared during second fortnight of June in district CSMF and ASMB, while in district RKSM it was appeared during first fortnight of July the maximum mean population was recorded on first fortnight of November in district CSMF (7.96/leaf) and RKSM (14.94/leaf) and on second fortnight of October in district ASMB (15.81/leaf). The RKSM showed maximum whitefly population (4.61/leaf), while district CSMF furnished lower population (2.48/leaf). It was found that the relative humidity had positive and significant (P<0.05) correlation with the whitefly population and it contributed 42.3%, 43.8% and 35.9% in CSMF, ASMB and RKSM district, respectively and the trend of whitefly appearance was found to be similar in 2008 and 2009. The relative humidity played positive and significant role for population fluctuation during month of October and November.
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