POTENTIAL OF TRAP CROPS FOR MANAGEMENT POPULATION OF TOBACCO APHID (Myzus nicotiana L.)

Tobacco aphid (Myzus nicotiana L.), is the primary insect pest of tobacco crop in Bilate tobacco farm. At farm level control of pest rely on insecticide application on the entire field, but surrounding main crop with a more attractive trap crop could reduce reliance on insecticides .A field trail was conducted in 2015 dry and wet seasons at Bilate tobacco leaf development farm to select the potential and an effective trap crop to control Myzus nicotiana L. Three potential crops and no trap crop (control) included in the trial. The result confirmed that using maize crop as trap (border) reduce aphid population planted before main crop. These results suggest that used maize crop as trap (barrier) effect and simple enough in its implementation to have high potential for adoption by farm.