Effect of weather parameters on outbreak of yellow stem borer in rice crop at Raipur

The research study was carried out on Development of weather-based forewarning model for yellow stem borer (YSB) of rice crop in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh to examine the influence of weather parameters on YSB population, pest dynamics and to develop a forewarning model for its prediction. Long-term light trap data (1998-2023) were obtained from AICRP on Rice and the Department of Entomology, IGKV, Raipur, while corresponding weather data were collected from the Department of Agricultural Meteorology. The study of correlation and regression analysis revealed that the YSB population had significant positive correlation with sunshine hours (r = 0.671**) and negative correlation with rainfall (r = -0.625**) and RH-II (r = -0.436*). Maximum and minimum temperatures(°C) and RH-I(%) observed non-significant effects. Stepwise linear regression was used to developed weather-based forewarning models, which were validated by using data for the years 2022 and 2023. The model showed higher accuracy in 2023. This study establishes the role of weather parameters in pest dynamics and provides a reliable model for early prediction and management of YSB in rice crop.