Population dynamics of Apion clavipes Gerst on mungbean Worku Mintesnot*, Azerefegne Ferdu1, Beyene Yibrah1 Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Center, P O. Box. 112, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia 1Hawassa University, College of Agriculture, Department of Plant and Horticultural Sciences, P.O. Box. 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia *Corresponding author Email: mintie1976@gmail.com
Online published on 5 February, 2019. Abstract Apion clavipes Gerst is economically important pest of mungbean in the low land of North Shewa, Ethiopia. For successful management of the pest, study on field phenology and population density is very crucial. Hence, this study which focused on evaluating the occurrence and activities of adult and immature stages of A. clavipes. The monitoring of population fluctuation of growth stages of A. clavipes in line with vegetative to maturity of mungbean was undertaken in two fields during the main season of 2015. The results revealed that the adults and larvae of A. clavipes started appearing with vegetative and pod initiation stage, respectively. The population gradually increased to grain filling stage. The peak population of adult and larva coincided with early and full grain filling stage, respectively, as it provided the substrate for oviposition and subsequent development of immature stages. Thereafter, adult and larval population gradually declined when the crop attained its maturity. Thus, life cycle of A. clavipes is observed to get well synchronized with the phenology of mungbean. Consequently timing of management measures before the pest cause economic damage becomes critical for its effective IPM. Top Keywords Apion clavipes, mungbean, phenology, population dynamics, adults, larvae, oviposition, synchronization. Top |