Pest status of the leafhopper Empoasca dolichi Paoli on groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in the Zaria area of northern Nigeria

Abstract

Population studies and tests on the relationship between density and damage were conducted in 1999 to 2001 to determine the pest status of Empoasca dolichi on groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) in the Zaria area of northern Nigeria. Analyses showed that Empoasca numbers varied significantly from one year to another, and within each year the numbers of leafhoppers observed at the different growth stages of the plant were significantly different ( P = 0.01). There was an inverse and highly significant relationship between the mean kernel yield and the Empoasca damage at the different growth stages of the plant. When natural population densities were plotted against economic injury level (EIL), the densities did not reach the EIL throughout the groundnut growing seasons. The insect was thus not an economic pest on groundnut in Zaria during the period of the study.