POPULATION DYNAMICS OF THRIPS (THRIPS TABACI) AND LADYBIRD BEETLE (COCCINELLA SEPTEMPUNCTATA) ON TRADITIONAL AND TRANSGENIC CULTIVAR OF COTTON

F. Arshad, M. J. Hussain, B. Atta, M. A. Khan, M. F. Raza, M. A. Farooq, M. W. Abbas, M. Tariq

Abstract: Cotton plays critical role in the economy of Pakistan. Thrips tabaci is reported as minor sucking pest of various field crops including cotton but in severe cases it causes heavy loss to cotton crop. In many cropping systems, the most common and plentiful predator of sucking insect pest like, aphid is ladybird beetle (Coccinella septempunctata.). The current trail was conducted to determine the population dynamic of thrips (Thrips tabaci) and ladybird beetle (Coccinella septempunctata.) on traditional and transgenic cultivars of cotton and predator-prey was used as measure to determine possible effect on population under investigation on the following cotton cultivars viz, FH-113, FH-114, FH-901, FH-1000 and CIM-496. These cotton cultivars were sown at the Entomological area of Postgraduate Agriculture Research Station (PARS), Faisalabad. Fisher’s analysis of variance technique and least significant difference (LDS) test was applied at 5% probability level to test the significance of the treatments’ means to analyze the collected data statistically. Results revealed that transgenic cultivars were more susceptible to thrips infestation as compared to conventional genotypes. Highest population of ladybird beetles was observed on transgenic cultivars as compared to conventional genotype due to more availability of thrips which act as a food source for ladybird beetles. The results indicated that maximum population of thrips (18.83 thrips/leaf) and ladybird beetles (11.49 LBB/leaf) were observed on FH-901 during 19-06-2011. While minimum population of thrips (0.82 thrips/leaf) and ladybird beetles (0.01 LBB/leaf) were observed on FH-1000 during 10-07-2011.

Keywords: Aphis gossypii; Coccinella septempunctata; cotton cultivars; population dynamic; Thrips tabaci

Date published: 2017-09-12