Field Evaluation of Selected Insecticidal Treatments for the Management of Termites and Aphids in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Rainfed Conditions in Chakwal, Pakistan

Abstract

Termites and aphids are important insect pests of wheat and can adversely affect crop establishment, plant growth and grain production. A field experiment was conducted at Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan, during 2024-25 to evaluate selected insecticidal treatments against termite damage during the early growth stage and aphid infestation during the later growth stage of wheat. Five treatments were evaluated: T1 = Hombre, T2 = chlorpyrifos, T3 = fipronil, T4 = Spinosad and T5 = untreated control. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications and a plot size of 1.5 × 5 m. Observations were recorded after crop emergence and subsequently at fortnightly intervals. Termite protection was expressed as percentage plant protection, aphid infestation as percentage of affected plants, and grain yield was recorded per experimental plot. Meteorological observations, including minimum and maximum temperature, relative humidity and rainfall, were recorded from October 2024 to May 2025 to provide environmental context. Fipronil provided the highest termite protection (89.67%), followed by Hombre (85.00%), chlorpyrifos (80.33%) and Spinosad (75.00%), whereas the untreated control recorded 45.00% protection. Based on the reported LSD (0.05) of 3.70, the termite-protection means were statistically separated. Aphid infestation was lowest in Spinosad-treated plots (1.50%), while the untreated control recorded 11.00%; no aphid damage was recorded in the Hombre, chlorpyrifos and fipronil treatments. Fipronil produced the highest plot grain yield (3.808 kg), equivalent to approximately 5.08 t ha⁻¹ when extrapolated from the 7.5 m² plot, followed by chlorpyrifos (4.88 t ha⁻¹), Spinosad (4.70 t ha⁻¹) and Hombre (4.24 t ha⁻¹), compared with 2.60 t ha⁻¹ in the untreated control. Overall, fipronil showed the strongest performance against termite damage and produced the highest grain yield, whereas Spinosad had the lowest recorded aphid infestation. These findings indicate that appropriately selected insecticidal treatments may contribute to wheat pest management under rainfed conditions, but treatment decisions should be integrated with pest monitoring, resistance management and conservation of natural enemies.