Mon, Aug 02, 2021:On Demand
Background/Question/Methods
In agricultural ecosystems, ecological equilibrium may be rehabilitated by employing biological control agents based on natural enemies (i.e., predators and parasitoids) and pest disease agents. Utilization of bio-pesticides or biological pesticides in pest management is generally safe for the environment and non-target species, in comparison with synthetic chemicals. The cucumber moth, Diaphania indica is a polyphagous insect, posing serious threat to bitter gourd cultivation. Thus, the experiment was designed to evaluate the efficacy of different bio-pesticides namely Nimbecidine 0.03% EC @ 5ml/litre, Neem seed kernel extract (NSKE) 5%, Neem oil @ 4-5ml/litre, Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki 5 WP @ 1g/litre, Metarhizium anisopliae 2x109 CFU @ 5g/litre and Beauveria bassiana 2x109 CFU @ 5g/litre for the management of D. indica on bitter gourd during Kharif 2019 at Entomology Experimental Area, CCS HAU, Hisar, India.
Results/Conclusions Results for overall efficacy revealed the high per cent reduction in D. indica populations by the treatment of B. thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki (65.47 %) and Nimbecidine 0.03% EC (63.80 %) followed by B. bassiana (54.52 %), Neem oil (52.76 %), M. anisopliae (51.46 %) and Neem seed kernel extract (25.88 %). Among various treatments, per cent fruit infestation was observed in the following order, Nimbecidine 0.03% EC (6.41 %) < B. thuringiensis (6.61 %) < B. bassiana (8.15 %) < neem oil (8.24 %) < M. anisopliae (9.08 %) < Neem seed kernel extract (14.22 %). After fruit picking, highest yield (8.26 tonnes/ ha) was recorded in B. thuringiensis followed by Nimbecidine 0.03% EC (8.04 t/ha), B. bassiana (7.83 t/ha), neem oil (7.54 t/ha), M. anisopliae (7.38 t/ha) and Neem seed kernel extract (6.18 t/ha) when compared with control (5.65 t/ha). Thus the cucurbit ecosystem can be effectively sustained using these bio-pesticides. Keywords: Ecological management, Bio-pesticides, Cucumber moth, Bitter gourd.
Results/Conclusions Results for overall efficacy revealed the high per cent reduction in D. indica populations by the treatment of B. thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki (65.47 %) and Nimbecidine 0.03% EC (63.80 %) followed by B. bassiana (54.52 %), Neem oil (52.76 %), M. anisopliae (51.46 %) and Neem seed kernel extract (25.88 %). Among various treatments, per cent fruit infestation was observed in the following order, Nimbecidine 0.03% EC (6.41 %) < B. thuringiensis (6.61 %) < B. bassiana (8.15 %) < neem oil (8.24 %) < M. anisopliae (9.08 %) < Neem seed kernel extract (14.22 %). After fruit picking, highest yield (8.26 tonnes/ ha) was recorded in B. thuringiensis followed by Nimbecidine 0.03% EC (8.04 t/ha), B. bassiana (7.83 t/ha), neem oil (7.54 t/ha), M. anisopliae (7.38 t/ha) and Neem seed kernel extract (6.18 t/ha) when compared with control (5.65 t/ha). Thus the cucurbit ecosystem can be effectively sustained using these bio-pesticides. Keywords: Ecological management, Bio-pesticides, Cucumber moth, Bitter gourd.