Effect of bio-pesticides singly and in combinations for the management of tomato fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner)

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted during 2017-18 at Central Research Farm and Department of Entomology SHUATS, Naini, Allahabad (U.P). The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with 8 treatments replicated three times. The relative efficacy of biopesticides viz., Neem seed kernel extract 5% @ 50gm/lit, HaNPV@ 0.4ml/lit, Bacillus thuringiensis var.kurstaki@2g/lit, HaNPV+ NSKE@ 0.2ml/lit+ 50gm/lit, HaNPV + Btk@ 0.2ml/lit + 1g/lit, HaNPV + Btk + NSKE@ 0.2ml/lit + 1g/lit + 50gm/lit, quinalphos 25%EC@ 2ml/litwere evaluated against fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera). The data on incremental percent reduction of different treatments revealed that the treatment quinalphos (72.96%) followed by HaNPV + Bt + NSKE (71.19%), HaNPV + NSKE (67.37%), and HaNPV + Bt(63.86%), HaNPV (57.50%), Bt (54.43%) and NSKE (50.18%) found to be the most economically viable treatments and are proved safer to the natural enemies population. The highest cost benefit ratio was obtained from quinalphos (1:19.17) treated plots, when sprayed twice at 15 days interval during Rabi season.