Relationship between abiotic factors and the incidence of sucking pests on rose plants

This study was conducted from November 2017 to May 2018 in the experimental field of the Department of Entomology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh, to investigate the effects of temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall on the incidence of sucking pests (thrips, aphids, and red spider mites) on roses. The results showed that the thrips population started to increase in the first week of January, gradually increasing and reaching its maximum (2.6 ± 0.2 individuals/flower) in the first week of February, and then declining. The aphid population started to increase in the second week of November, reached its peak (8.4 ± 0.6 individuals/shoot) in the last week of December, and then declining. The mite population started increasing in the second week of December, increased continuously until its peak (8.4 ± 0.4 individuals/shoot) in the first week of March, and then declining. The populations of thrips, aphids, and mites persisted until the third week of April, the third week of May, and the first week of April, respectively. Daily mean temperature and rainfall were negatively correlated with the increase in the thrips and aphid populations, while relative humidity was positively correlated with it; however, these correlations were not significant. The mite population had a significant positive correlation with temperature and a non-significant negative correlation with relative humidity and rainfall. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that weather variables together predicted 34%, 53.1%, and 41.7% of thrips, aphid, and mite abundance on rose plants.