Response of cotton varieties to feeding by <i>Dysdercus volkeri</i> F. (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae) in Zaria, Kaduna State

Abstract

Field trials were conducted in 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons at Samaru, Zaria and Kadawa to study the influence of cotton varieties on the populations of Dysdercus volkeri under unsprayed conditions. The experiments were laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated four times. Number of D. volkeri nymph and adult populations, number of bolls produced, number of boll damaged, percent boll damaged and weight of cotton lint produced were assessed. The results showed that SAMCOT 11 and 12 had high significant (P≤ 0.05) number of nymph populations compared with SAMCOT 9 and 10 varieties in Samaru. While in Kadawa, SAMCOT 8 had lowest number of nymph populations compared with SAMCOT 9, 11 and 13 varieties. Adult populations were high (P≤ 0.05) from both locations on SAMCOT 8, 10 and 12 compared with SAMCOT 9, 11 and 13 varieties. Based on the number of boll damaged SAMCOT 8, 9 and 11 significantly (P≤ 0.05) had higher bolls damaged in both locations. Cotton lint damaged was high on SAMCOT 8, 10 and 12 varieties compared with SAMCOT 9, 11 and 13 varieties, however, in Kadawa SAMCOT 10 and 11 had the highest lint damaged compared with SAMCOT 12 and 13 varieties. SAMCOT 8, 9, 10 and 11 varieties recorded with high number of boll damaged, least weight of lint damaged and higher weight of lint per hectre and low population of D. volkeri across the two locations.