THE EFFECT OF THE WEATHER ON THE LIGHT-TRAP’S DATA OF THE COTTON BOLLWORM IN HUNGARY Péter Balogh, József Takács, Miklós Nádasy, Lénárd Márton University of Veszprém, Georgikon Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Entomology, Keszthely, Hungary IV. Alps-Adria Scientific Workshop Portoroż, Slovenia

Our aims: To examine the correlation between the effective heat of the year and the number of captured individuals To examine the correlation between the rainfall and the number of the captured moths To examine the correlation between the number of the heat days and the number of the captured moths

Methods I. In our present study we processed the meteorological and light-trap data of the Plant Protection and Soil Conservation Services of Borsod, Csongrád, Fejér, Komárom-Esztergom and Tolna Counties At first we had to count the effective heat of the counties for every year We subtracted 13 o C from the daily mean temperature of the counties, than we summed the positive differences separately. This amount is the effective heat of the year In the second examination we summed the fallen precipitation between the first and last days, those daily mean temperature is higher than 13 o C

Methods II. In the third examination we summed the number of the heat days in every year. Heat days are the days, those daily maximum temperature is over 30 o C We represented these data separately with the catching numbers of the light-traps on a point diagram We fitted a trend line to the data This line can be defined with an equation we counted the correlation coefficient “r” and we made a comparison on P=0,05 probability level with a critical correlation coefficient “r*”

Our results

The correlation diagram between the effective heat of the year and the catching number The critical correlation coefficient on probability level P=0,05: r*=0,3809.

Correlation diagram between the precipitation and the catching numbers The critical correlation coefficient on probability level P=0,05: r*=0,3809

Correlation diagram between the heat days and the catching numbers The critical correlation coefficient on probability level P=0,001: r*=0,5974

Conclusions It can be summarised that the cotton bollworm responses to the hot and droughty weather very positively The presence of cotton bollworm shows us very clearly, that our climate is changing, and becomes more and more hot and droughty

Acknowledgement I would like to express my thanks to Géza Gabi, Adrienne Garai, Péter Kemény, Péter Prohászka, Zsolt Tatár and Géza Vörös for their help

Thank you for your attention!