Influence of weather parameters on natural enemies in pigeonpea ecosystem

The research experiment was carried out at Insectary field of Entomology Section, College of Agriculture, Nagpur, Maharashtra to study the correlation between weather parameters and incidence of natural enemies in pigeonpea ecosystem. The observation of natural enemies on pigeonpea recorded at weekly interval on standard meteorological weeks. Findings reveled that, Lady bird beetle activity started from 29 MW (0.6 plant-1). The peak population of Lady bird beetle was observed in 34 MW (1.2 plant-1). Chrysopa was noticed from 37 MW (0.4 plant-1) with peak population of (4.6 plant-1) was observed during 45 MW and occurrences of spider started from 33 MW (0.2 plant-1) and peak period was observed in 44 MW with a peak incidence (1.4 plant-1). Lady bird beetle was positively non-significant with the maximum temperature while positively significant effect with minimum temperature. Chrysopa population was positively non-significant with maximum temperature and minimum temperature. Spider population showed positively significant effect with maximum temperature while positively non-significant with minimum temperature. Evening relative humidity and rainfall was negatively non-significant with rainfall. Natural enemies are effective in the management of gram pod borer and pod fly in pigeonpea as seen in many other crops. Hence, conservation of existing natural enemies should be done by judicious use of insecticides.