Abstract
Wheat aphids have attained the status of regular insect pests and cause economic losses at national
level. Nutrient management can be an effective strategy in controlling cereal aphids. Little is known
about how aphids respond to different doses of fertilizers under diverse agro-ecological conditions of
Punjab, Pakistan. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of different doses of
nitrogen, phosphorus and potash (N-P-K; 46-0-0, 69-0-0, 69-46-0, 69-0-25 and 69-46-25 kg/acre)
fertilizers on aphid populations and yield parameters of wheat. A trial was conducted at four Adaptive
Research Farms of Agriculture Extension Department located in four different agro-ecological zones
of Punjab during wheat growing season of 2010-11. Schizaphis graminum was the most abundant
aphid species followed by Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi at all the four locations. Aphid
populations behaved similarly at all the study sites; it was the minimum in the treatment that included
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium i.e. 69-46-25 kg/acre. Yield improved significantly in treatments
with phosphorus while potash had no impact on it. Positive correlation was found between
populations of aphids and their natural enemies. It suggests that balanced use of fertilizers (69-46-25
kg/acre) can significantly lower aphid infestations on wheat crop and increase its yield.
Muhammad Faheem, Asif Sajjad, Rana Muhammad Shafique. (2015) BALANCED USE OF FERTILIZERS CAN REDUCE APHID INFESTATION AND IMPROVE YIELD IN WHEAT CROP, Asian Journal of Agriculture and Biology, Volume 3, Issue 1.
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