Management of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) infesting Kharif okra

Abstract

Investigations on management of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) infesting okra was carried out under field condition during the kharif, 2018 at Instructional Farm, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, Gujarat, India. For the management of whitefly, the effect of different potash fertilizer dose and foliar application of insecticides against whitefly, three potash fertilizer dose viz., K1: potash fertilizer @ 60 kg/ha, K2: potash fertilizer @ 80 kg/ha and K3: potash fertilizer @ 50 kg/ha as a soil application and foliar application of insecticides viz., I1: triazophos 40 EC @ 20 ml/10 lit, I2: acetamiprid 20 SP @ 3 g/10 lit, I3: diafenthiuron 50 WP @ 10 g/10 lit and I4: control were tested. The combination of soil application of fertilizer and foliar application of insecticides viz., K1I1, K2I1, K3I1, K1I2, K2I2, K3I2, K1I3, K2I3, K3I3, K1I4, K2I4 and K3I4 were evaluated against the pest. Based on pooled over periods, K2I2 (potash fertilizer @ 80 kg/ha + spray of acetamiprid 0.006%) followed by K2I1 (potash fertilizer @ 80 kg/ha + triazophos 0.04%) and K2I3 (potash fertilizer @ 80 kg/ha + diafenthiuron0.05%) were found most effective in controlling whitefly population. Significantly highest (13106 kg/ha) yield harvested in the plots treated with K2I2 (potash fertilizer @80 kg/ha + acetamiprid 0.006%) followed by K2I1 (potash fertilizer @80 kg/ha + triazophos 0.04%) [12782.29] and K2I3 (potash fertilizer @80 kg/ha + diafenthiuron 0.05%) [12088].