LINKING DEMOGRAPHY AND FOOD CONSUMPTION TO PROJECT POPULATION GROWTH AND DAMAGE POTENTIAL OF Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)
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Date
2022-11
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
Abstract
The present study entitled “Linking demography and food consumption to project population
growth and damage potential of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)” was carried out in the Biocontrol
Research Laboratory of the Department of Entomology, Dr YS Parmar University and Forestry, Nauni, Solan
(HP), during 2021-22. Spodoptera frugiperda, identified as an invasive pest worldwide, has severely threatened
the agricultural production and food security in India. To formulate ecofriendly IPM strategies for S. frugiperda
in its new invasive habitat, the basic knowledge about demographic parameters and damage potential of this pest
is crucial. The effect of six host crops maize, popcorn, sweet corn, sorghum, soybean and pea on the
development and food consumption of S. frugiperda were examined. S. frugiperda successfully completed its
developments on all the tested host plants. The pre-adult development of S. frugiperda was fastest on popcorn
(26.02 days), maize (28.04 days) and sweetcorn (28.31 days) but slowest on pea (36.43 days). The fecundity
was highest in females reared on popcorn (1405.67 eggs/female) followed by sweetcorn (1381.11 eggs/female)
and maize (1348.20 eggs/female). The highest net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of increase and finite rate of
increase were observed on maize. The feeding potential of S. frugiperda was also higher on maize. The
maximum consumption of sixth larval instar was observed on maize (19470.47 mm2) and lowest on pea
(8985.78 mm2). Population projection curves based on life table and consumption rates were drawn on different
hosts. In the simulation period of 90 days, fastest growth of S. frugiperda was expected on maize, popcorn and
sweetcorn while slowest on pea. Higher larval and pupal survival recorded on non-maize hosts (soybean and
pea) reflects that FAW could be an obstacle in their production as well as in the success of maize-soybean and
maize-pea intercropping system. Moreover, co-occurrence of different crops in the agro-ecosystem (sorghum
and soybean) can stimulate new feeding preferences in the non-existence of main host