Effect of different Planting Dates on the Occurrence of Main Predators Inhabiting Five Maize Varieties

Abstract

Experiments were carried out in the experimental farm of Dokhmes EL-Mahlla EL-kobra,Grbea Governorate and another farm of Abosken village,Alhamol,kafr E-LSheikh Governorate during two successive seasons,2014 and 2015 to study the effect of planting dates on the main predators inhabiting five different maize varieties .The results showed that the delayed planting dates in August for the different varieties of maize crop had an effect on the presence of the largest number of predators from early planting dates in April and June during the two seasons of investigation 2014and 2015. The statistical analysis revealed that, highly significant difference in the number of the predators in the planting dates during both seasons . This study recommends that the cultivation date in August of the five defferent varieties recorded the highest number of predator insects and therefore should not use insecticides in this planting date so as not to destroy the insect predators.