ABSTRACT

A field experiment was carried out on okra plant (Abelmoschus esculentus(L.)Moench)to investigate the occurrence and population dynamics of natural enemies on okra as influenced  by plant spacing and number of plants per stand. This experiment was conducted in the Teaching and Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin city, Edo State, during the late cropping seasonof 2024. Six treatments namely: 40×25×1,  40×25×2,  40×25×3,  50×25×1,  50×25×2,  50×25×3 plant spacings and number of plants per stand was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD), and was replicated four times with treatment plot measuring 2m×2.5m separated with 0.5m. Parasitoid and predators sampling was carried out weekly beginning from two (2) weeks after sowing (WAS) to nine (9) WAS. Data obtained was analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results of the study revealed  the occurrence of a wasp parasitoid species in the family Braconidae any arthropod predator species in the family Coccinelidae, Araneomorphae, Syrphidae and Araneae.The Species in the family Brachonidae were the most abundant natural enemy across all treatments with relative abundance of 69.00%. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the  abundance  of natural enemy  in the various plant spacing and number of plants per stand. Natural enemy abundance across the WAS was highly significantly different (P < 0.001). Highest number of natural enemies was recorded at 3rd (2.79) and 4th (2.61) WAS, respectively. Plant spacing and number of plants per stand did not influence parasitoid and predator abundance in okra although their population varied with the stage of the plant.