Field assessment of elicitors on rice leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee) (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera) and coccinellid population in rice ecosystem

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to estimate the efficacy of different elicitors on rice leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee) and coccinellid predators under field conditions at Puthuthamaraipatty village and AC&RI, Madurai. Among the different elicitors tested, Methyl salicylate @ 10 mM conc. recorded the lowest per cent leaf damage of 3.38 and 4.16 in field trial I and field trial II respectively. The per cent reduction of leaf damage over untreated check in field trial I was 74.37 and 75.08 in field trial II, followed by salicylic acid @ 10 mM conc. with 68.12 and 68.79 in field trial I and field trial II. Methyl salicylate @ 10 mM conc. attracted more population of coccinellids, 0.99/sweep and 1.15/sweep in field trial I and field trial II, respectively, followed by salicylic acid @ 10 mM conc. which recorded the mean coccinellid population of 0.83/sweep in field trial I and 0.93/sweep in field trial II.