Interaction between population of Cletus fuscescens (walker)

Field experiments were conducted at the National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan, in the growing season of 2008 to determine the effect of planting date, line and seed stages of grain amaranth on Cletus fuscescens population levels using three species of grain amaranth namely, p373 (amaranthus hypochondriacus), Montana 3 (amaranthus cruentus) and D136-1 (amaranthus hybrid) planted on three dates that were 2 weeks apart. The result showed that Cletus fuscecens population began to build up at flowering stage and reached peak at the milky seed stage. The individual effect of lines and phonological stages of grain amaranth significattly (p<0.05) affected Cletus fuscescens population levels with planting dates being the predominant factor. The interaction between planting dates and phonological stages of grain amaranth was observed to be the most important factors in the first growing seaso :2008, while 2009, planting dates and lines was the most important interaction affecting the population build up of Cletus fuscescens on grain amaranth.