Abstract: In order to investigate the possible impacts of different tillage practices on occurrence of the orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), surveys of wheat midges including removing the larvae from soils, net-trapping and stripping glumes of ears were arranged in wheat field transects with different tillage practices at Luancheng Agro-ecosystem Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Hebei Province in 2010 and 2011. The results showed that the average amount of larvae in transects with different tillage practices was in the following sequence: straw mulch and no-tillage (SMNT) > straw standing and notillage (SSNT) > straw mulch and rotary tillage (SRRT) in 2010 and 2011; the average amount of larvae per 100 tillers by stripping glumes, however, was in the reverse sequence: SRRT > SSNT > SMNT. In 2011, catches of net-trap in SRRT was the highest among three transects. Analysis showed that fields with notillage practices would be beneficial to larval over-wintering, but wheat paddy with this tillage practice would get less damage n wheat ears. Fields with rotary tillage practice would be harmful to larval over-wintering, but wheat paddy with this tillage practice would get much more damages in wheat ears. For the fields with rotary tillage practice, flood irrigation could cause more serious occurrence of wheat midges. The results may help realize the influences of tillage practices on occurrence of the orange wheat blossom midge with the transition of tillage practices in large scale.

Key words: Wheat midges, Sitodiplosis mosellana, tillage practice, no-tillage, rotary tillage, bag-sifter-bamboo white-tray, population dynamics