Determination of Population Fluctuation of Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Some Cotton Varieties in Sur District (Diyarbakir)

Abstract

Cotton (Gossypium spp.), which is an important agricultural product in both industrial and commercial sectors all over the world with its different areas of use, has many negative factors on yield and quality in its production conditions, as well as plant protection problems. In cotton production areas, many factors negatively affect yield and quality, with plant protection issues playing a significant role. The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is one of the primary pests of cotton. This study was conducted in the Sati village of the Sur district, Diyarbak & imath;r, during the 2022-2023 growing seasons to determine the population fluctuation of winged and wingless individuals of A. gossypii on three cotton varieties (May-455, Progen-1010, Progen-Armada). The population fluctuation of Aphis gossypii were monitored on three different cotton varieties over a two-year period. The wingless individuals were first detected in the first week of June in both years, reaching their initial population peak in the second week of June. The temporal population fluctuation of wingless aphids exhibited a similar pattern across all studied cotton varieties. Winged individuals were primarily captured using yellow sticky traps, with the first population peak occurring in the third week of June, and a secondary increase observed in September. Although variations in the density of winged individuals were recorded among the different cotton varieties, these differences were not statistically significant. Overall, the population density of wingless A. gossypii peaked in June, while the winged form showed a secondary increase towards September. Throughout the study period, aphid populations remained below the established economic threshold (25 individuals per leaf), and thus no insecticidal intervention was required.