INCIDENCE OF MAIZE LEAF HOPPER (CICADULINA MBILA, NAUDE) AND ITS MANAGEMENT USING ENHANCED EFFICIENCY FERTILIZATION

Abstract

Maize leaf hopper (Cicadulina mbila, Naude) still remains a yield declining major pest of maize in Ghana and other parts of the world. Field experiment was laid in randomized complete block design with three replications, using nine different fertilization regimes to evaluate the effect of enhanced fertilization application on the incidence of C. mbila and its impact on grain yield of maize. Data were collected on C.mbila abundance, damage incidence and impact on yield. Economic viability of the treatments on maize production was also assessed. Fertilization significantly influenced C.mbila abundance and incidence on maize. Unfertilized plot recorded significantly higher C. mbila abundance and damage incidence compared to fertilization regimes. Among the fertilization regimes, T15-SUL and ACT-SOA recorded significantly higher C. mbila abundance and damage incidence respectively whilst the least were recorded from CLB-CLB and T15-URE. On grain yield, all the fertilization regimes obtained higher grain yield compared to unfertilized plot. Among the fertilized plots, CLB-CLB recorded significantly lower grain yield. Though ACT-URE, ACT-NIT, T15-URE, ACT-SOA and T15-NIT yielded above all, there was no significant variation. All the fertilization regimes yielded more profit compared to no fertilization plot, among the fertilization regimes, CLB CLB yielded lowest profit and benefit-cost ratio whilst the highest profit and benefit-cost ratio was obtained from ACT-URE. Application of ACT-URE or ACT-NIT is recommended for better management of C. mbila, maximized yield, as well as high profitability.