Association of Agrometeorologists

Impact of meteorological parameters on population dynamics of mango hopper in high rainfall zone of Konkan region

M.V. ZAGADE and J.N. CHAUDHARI

Mango hopper is the important serious pest of mango in all over parts of Konkan region causing loss to the extent of 60%. The population dynamics of mango hopper for four consecutive years (2005 to 2008) as well as the average population were correlated with the weather parameters like maximum and minimum temperature and afternoon relative humidity. The results revealed that all the three weather parameters viz., maximum temperature (r=-0.525*), minimum temperature (r=-0.561**) and afternoon relative humidity (r=-0.556*) had a significant negative correlation with the average population of mango hopper. Hopper population was started from 42nd Std. Meteorological Week (SMW) and attained peak value during 2nd MW and decreased thereafter upto 9th SMW.

Monophagous, population dynamics, weather parameters