Comparative efficacy of selected chemicals and biopesticides against fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) on maize

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted in kharif season of 2023-24 at Central Research Farm (CRF), SHUATS, Uttar Pradesh, India. The experiment was laid in Randomized Block Design with eight treatments each replicated thrice viz., Lambda cyhalothrin 2.5% EC @ 1ml/l, Metarhizium anisopliae 5.8×104 @ 2.5 ml/l, Flubendiamide 480% SC @ 0.24ml/l, Emamectin benzoate 5% SG @ 0.4 g/l, Neem oil 1500 ppm @ 5 ml/l, Spinosad 45% SC @ 0.25 ml/l, Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% EC @ 0.4 ml/l and Untreated control. The data on larval population of Spodoptera frugiperda after first and second spray mean revealed that all the treatments were significantly superior over control. Among all the treatments, Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% EC (3.62) recorded lowest larval population of Spodoptera frugiperda after both sprays followed by Spinosad 45% SC (4.04), Emamectin benzoate 5%SG (4.53), Lambda cyhalothrin 2.5% EC (4.85), Flubendiamide 480% SC (5.25), Neem oil (5.65) respectively Metarhizium anisopliae 5.8 ×10 4 (6.07) was the least effective among all treatments. While, the highest yield and cost benefit ratio was obtained from Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% EC (42.72q/ha and 1:1.94) followed by Spinosad 45% SC (40.80 q/ha and 1:1.89), Emamectin benzoate 5% SG (37.44q/ha and 1:1.71), Lambda cyhalothrin 2.5% EC (34.79q/ha and 1:1.62), Flubendiamide 480% SC, (31.68q/ha and 1:1.49), Neem oil (28.54q/ha and 1:1.33), Metarhizium anisopliae 5.8 ×10 4 (26.49q/ha and 1:1.25) and control (23.57q/ha and 1:16).