Effect of Intercropping on the Diversity of Insect Community in Brinjal

Abstract

1. A study was conducted at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University Gazipur, Bangladesh from October 2002 to May 2003 to determine the diversity index and equitability of insect community with four different intercrops in brinjal (Solanum melongena).
2. Results revealed that intercropping generally produced greater diversity index of insect community.
3. Richness of taxonomic categories was lower in intercropping systems compared to the combination of their component sole crops.
4. A combination of pitfall trapping and sweep netting methods for capturing the insects over the whole crop growth period revealed a highly significant positive relationship between richness (x) and diversity index (y), but a negative relationship between richness (x) and equitability (y).