Insect population in Leucaena plantations intercropped with maize (Zea mays) and vigna (vigna unguiculata)

A Study on the incidence and damage of insects during the establishment of two Leucaena leucocephala plantations intercropped with maize and vigna, re spectively was carried out at the Institute of Animal Science. Visual sampl ings in prefixed furrows were carried out by random observation of 60 plant s of each crop for each area with a fortnightly frequency. In the case of t he vignas, 30 days after sowing, 9 samples of 20 catches were taken using a n entomological net. There was a greater insect-pest incidence in the leuca ena intercropped with vigna with severe damage to this seasonal species. Ho wever, leucaena was not largely affected in this study. The bioregulators s howed a similar performance in both areas. Heteropsylla cubans was the pred ominating insect in leucaena with populations of 5 individuals/m(2). In mai ze it was Spodoptera frugiperda with 1.2 larvae/m(2) and in vignas, homopte rous of the Empoasca genus with 23 insects/m(2) and diverse Chrisomelidae t hat caused defoliation to the crop. It is concluded that leucaena during it s establishment does not suffer physiological or plant health disorders whe n seasonal crops such as maize or vignas are intercropped. Maize intercropp ing is premisory. However, it does not seem advisable to intercrop vignas i n view of phytophagous damage, which must be periodically studied.