Management strategies for pink stem borer, Sesamia inferens Walker (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) infesting barnyard millet, Echinochloa frumentacea Link using botanicals

Abstract

Barnyard millet also known as kudhiraivaali is known for its high nutrient content. Barnyard millet is being cultivated mostly as rainfed crop and it is ravaged by several pests. Of which, pink stem borer causes dead heart and white ear symptoms by boring into stem and peduncle region causing heavy economic loss. Hence, the present study was conducted for the management of pink stem borer, Sesamia inferens in barnyard millet with botanicals. The treatments were neem oil 3%, pongamia oil 3%, mahua oil 3%, citrus peel oil 3%, Vitex negundo leaf extract 5%, sweet flag rhizome extract 3% and neem seed kernel extract 5%. The above treatments were applied two times during the year 2020 at Central farm, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai. Among the treatments, neem oil 3% (62.01%) was found to be the most effective followed by citrus peel oil 3% (60.74%), pongamia oil 3% (57.94%), mahua oil 3% (56.87%), Vitex negundo leaf extract 5% (54.72%) and neem seed kernel extract 5% (51.73%). Among all treatments sweet flag rhizome extract (50.22%) was found to be the least effective. With regard to yield, the neem oil 3% recorded the highest yield (7.34 q/ha) over control with the cost benefit ratio of 1:1.74 and sweet flag rhizome extract 3% was the least performing treatment with 11.50% increase in yield over control with the cost benefit ratio of 1:1.45.