Among contributing factors to low crop yields, aphids are considered a significant factor. Current studies aimed to understand tritrophic interactions in two wheat varieties, the aphid infestation and parasitoid attacking aphids throughout the growing season in an arid zone. For this purpose, two cultivars, namely AUR-809 and Chakwal-50, were sown at the Koont research farm of PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi under a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that the highest aphid population was observed during the 5th and 8th weeks of the study, corresponding to the tillering and milking stages in both wheat cultivars. Interestingly, the 1st week (4th February) exhibited the minimum population compared to subsequent weeks of sampling. Regarding parasitism, the parasitism rate varied significantly across the study period. The interaction between cultivar and week also displayed a significant effect on aphid parasitism rate (F = 3.92; df = 9, 38; P = 0.0014), indicating that the combined influence of cultivar type and week of study influenced the parasitism rate differently. In terms of the male-female sex ratio, the results showed that Diaeretiella rapae had 83 individuals with 67♀ and 16♂, and Aphidius colemani had 52 individuals with 39♀ and 13♂. The observed variability emphasizes the need for tailored pest management strategies based on the specific cultivar and timing of the study.
Hussain et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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