Tillage Intensity Influences Insect-Pest and Predator Dynamics of Wheat Crop Grown under Different Conservation Agriculture Practices in Rice-Wheat Cropping System of Indo-Gangetic Plain

Tillage can alter the soil habitats wherein many insect pests and their natural enemies reside during at least part of life cycle. To enhance crop productivity reduce climate change effects, conservation agriculture (CA) with reduced-tillage or no-tillage practices have been advocated to farmers. However, information relating effect CA on is very scarce, in Indo-Gangetic region. In this study, tillage abundance of, damage by, major (foliar aphids, root termites, pink stem borer) wheat managed under three practices, i.e., zero-till (ZT), reduced (RT), conventional (CT) (protected) without (unprotected) insecticide protection scenarios, was investigated. Foliar aphid termite numbers were lowest ZT-protected system, highest CT-unprotected system. Pink borer significantly higher ZT-unprotected whereas number maximum RT-unprotected The these four showed variable trends studied systems. a positive correlation normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) canopy temperature. dynamics predators driven by habitat-related changes (direct) as well growth-related effects (indirect). A fine-tuning insect-pest management tactics based relations would success