A field experiment was conducted to investigate the population dynamics of major insect pests
and associated natural enemies in quinoa crop under field conditions. Observations on pest
incidence and natural enemy populations were recorded weekly from germination to harvest on
10 randomly selected plants. The study revealed the occurrence of several key pests including
jassids, aphids, thrips, leaf miners, epilachna beetles, and spodoptera larvae throughout the crop
growth period. The average population recorded during the 11-week observation period was
0.25 jassids, 0.15 aphids, and 0.09 thrips per leaf, whereas 0.28 leaf miners, 0.34 epilachna
beetles, and 0.65 spodoptera larvae per plant were observed. Among the natural enemies,
earwigs, chrysopa eggs, and adult ladybird beetles were found to be associated with the quinoa
ecosystem, with average populations of 0.17, 0.15, and 0.55 per plant, respectively. The findings
indicated that spodoptera larvae and epilachna beetles were the predominant pests, while
ladybird beetles constituted the major natural enemy population during the crop season. The
study provides useful baseline information on pest succession and the abundance of beneficial
insects in quinoa, which can aid in developing eco-friendly and integrated pest management
strategies for sustainable quinoa cultivation.

Keywords: Quinoa; Population Dynamics; Insect Pests; Natural Enemies; Integrated Pest
Management.