Crop Weather Pest Relationship and Forewarning Model for Spodoptera frugiperda on Maize and Sorghum

Background: Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda is a crop pest with over 80 host species that causes severe damage to maize and sorghum crops. S. frugiperda is native to tropical and subtropical region of America that has spread rapidly throughout the world. Methods: Based on the severity of S. frugiperda in India a field experiment was conducted to study the pest influence in maize and Sorghum crops for two years i.e., 2020 and 2021 during the kharif season at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Tirupati. Using correlation and regression techniques, the data was pooled and statistically analysed with weather parameters. Result: Correlation studies revealed a significant positive relationship between pest damage and minimum temperature showed negative relation with morning and evening relative humidity, while wind velocity and evaporation are positively influenced S. frugiperda damage. Maximum temperature, wind velocity and evaporation together played a role in the occurrence of S. frugiperda. Regression equations were developed using SPSS for predicting the damage caused by S. frugiperda.