Abstract
The study on seasonal dynamics of on maize was carried out at GBPUAT, Pantnagar during 2023 and Spodoptera frugiperda kharif 2024.population started appearing on maize at 28 and 31 SMW in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and persisted until Spodoptera frugiperda th st crop maturity.The larval population reached the peak level of 3.08 larvae/plant in 33 SMW during 2023 and 2.82 larvae/plant in 36 SMW rd th during 2024 which declined thereafter.The plant damage ranged from 6.67-75.00% in 2023 and 5.00-80.00% in 2024.Pearson correlation revealed a significant and positive association of larval population with minimum temperature (r= 0.614 and r= 0.597) and evening relative humidity (r= 0.357 and r= 0.333) in year 2023 and 2024, respectively, while sunshine hours and rainfall showed negative effects.Principal component analysis confirmed minimum temperature and humidity as the key determinants of pest dynamics.These findings highlighted the significance of weather in outbreaks and provide valuable insights for forecasting and long-term management strategies in maize S. frugiperda cultivation.