SEASONAL INFLUENCE AND POPULATION DYNAMCS OF GREEN LEAFHOPPER ON RICE

Abstract

Seasonal trends of the green leafhopper (GLH) species studied by monitoring the pest through light trap at Coimbatore and the influence of weather factors on the population dynamics showed the peak occurrence of GLH during November followed by December. Nephotettix virescens (Distant) dominated over N. nigropictus (Stal.) throughout the year, Corresponding week's weather factors, especially the total rainfall individually influenced significantly the population of N. virescens and N. nigropictus individually as well as the total population of both the species. Weather factors that prevailed a fortnight prior to catch (the developmental period) influenced N. nigropictus alone. Corresponding week's weather factors in particular, the total rainfall influenced the population of Nephotettix spp. during Kar season. The total weather factors that existed a fortnight prior to catch influenced the population during late samba and navaral seasons. In all the seasons none of the individual weather factors that existed during the developmental period influenced the population.