ABUNDANCE OF PREDATORS AS AFFECTED BY PLANTING DATES IN WHEAT, (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) AT MULTAN (PUNJAB, PAKISTAN)

Experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of planting dates on incidence and abundance of predators. Wheat (cv. Sahar) was sown at the Agricultural Farm in Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan on 5th, 20th November and 5th December 2011 in randomized complete block design with three replicates. Numbers of predators were recorded from 30 ears selected randomly from each treatment. Coccinellids and syrphid flies were the only observed predators. On March 12th 2012, predators were observed first time in all plots of wheat sown on three dates. Transformation of the population data was carried out as it did not follow the assumption of the analysis of variance. Coccinellids and syrphid flies population responded to planting time differently but not in all the sampling dates. No higher abundance was recorded consistently in any sowing date, however on April 03rd 2012 higher populations were recorded on late sown crop for both predators. Population declined in the first week of April for syrphid flies whereas; coccinellid diminished in the second week of April in all three sowing dates.