1 Vikas Kumar et al. Plant Archives Vol. 25, Supplement 2, 2025 pp. e-ISSN:2581-6063 (online), ISSN:0972-5210 Plant Archives Journal homepage: http://www.plantarchives.org DOI Url : https://doi.org/10.51470/PLANTARCHIVES.2025.v25.supplement-2.187 POPULATION ABUNDANCE OF SUCKING INSECT PESTS OF URD BEAN (VIGNA MUNGO L.) TO ABIOTIC FACTORS IN WESTERN U.P., INDIA Vikas Kumar 1* , Daya Shankar Shrivastava 2 , Ajay Kumar 1 , Balwant Yadav 3 and Ankit Singh 3 1 Department of Entomology, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut – 250004, U.P., India 2 Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Manpur, Sitapur- 261145, U.P., India 3 Department of Entomology, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda-210001, U.P., India *Corresponding author E-mail: vikaskumarikwara16@gmail.com (Date of Receiving : 03-05-2025; Date of Acceptance : 08-07-2025) ABSTRACT The present investigation was conducted in the Department of Plant Protection experimental field at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut Campus, during the Kharif season of 2023-2024. The study focused on the population abundance of sucking insect pests (whiteflies and aphids) affecting urd bean and their correlation with weather parameters. In the experiment, the initial occurrence of the aphid population was recorded during the 28th SMW, while whiteflies were first noted during the 30th SMW. Both insect populations reached their peak levels during the 36th SMW. Correlation studies were performed using the Karl Pearson coefficient formula. Keywords: Vigna mungo, population dynamics, correlation, multiple regression. Introduction Urd bean (Vigna mungo L.), which belongs to the Leguminosae family, is also known as black gram, urad, or mash in various regions of India. It is an important pulse crop that is grown throughout the year but is most abundant during the Kharif season (Mohapatra et al., 2018). It is a major source of dietary protein for many people. In India, the area, production, and productivity of urd beans are 32.15 lakh hectares, 17.66 lakh tonnes, and 549 kg/ha, respectively (Khajuria et al., 2015). Major states growing urd beans across India include Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. The nutritional value of urd bean lies in its high and easily digestible protein, containing approximately 25-28% protein, 1.0-1.5% oil, 3.5-4.5% fiber, 4.5-5.5% ash, and 62-65% carbohydrates on a dry weight basis (Ali and Gupta, 2012). Amino acid analysis indicates that the concentration of sulfur-containing amino acids, methionine and cystine, is lower compared to methionine, which is greater than that in mung bean. Numerous insect pests attack urd bean crops, potentially causing production losses of up to 70% depending on the severity of the attack. Various insect pests that target urd beans include whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), jassid (Empoasca spp.), aphids (Aphis craccivora), green leafhopper (Nephotettix spp.), grasshopper (Atractomorpha spp.), and blister beetle (Mylabris pustulata). Materials and Methods The present investigation was conducted for the research work at the Experimental farm of the Department of Plant Protection, Ch. Charan Singh University, Campus Meerut- 250004, U.P. The TU-40 variety of Urd bean was carried out for the experimental program which suitable for Kharif season. The variety was procured from the KVK-II, Sitapur farm, and sown at field plot which size is 4X3 m 2 with a spacing of 30X10 cm. The crop was grown in the Kharif season of 2023 in a Randomized Block Design with three replications. Method of observations The observation of aphids and whiteflies was recorded on randomly five selected plants of the crop