OCCURRENCE OF INSECT PESTS AND THEIR NATURAL ENEMIES IN RICE UNDER JAMMU AGROCLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Present investigations revealed that major insect pests in rice crop u nder Jammu conditions are grasshoppers, leaf folder, rice hispa, green leaf hoppers, big white leaf hopper, white backed plant hopper, stem borers, rice skipper, blue beetle etc. while their natural enemies are diferent species of spiders, dragon flies, damsel flies, meadow grass hoppers, crickets, Coccinellids, carabids, braconids, pipunculids, ta chinids, Xamthopimpia, Charops, Ichneumonids, trichogrammatids and fir e ants. It was observed that varietal difference has no impact on popu lation build up of different pests and their natural enemies. Number o f natural enemies at each location in each variety generally remained high as compared to number of host insects which is a positive step to wards IPM technology.