Eco-friendly management of okra shoot and fruit borer Earias vittella (Fab.)

Abstract

A field trial was carried out during the Rabi season of 2020-2021 to evaluate eco-friendly approaches for managing the okra shoot and fruit borer, Earias vittella (Fab.). The study was designed using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications, involving two applications of eight treatments: Karanj oil (2 ml/L), Illupai oil (2 ml/L), Neem oil (3 ml/L), Cypermethrin 25% EC (2 ml/L), Spinosad 45% SC (0.5 ml/L), Mahogany oil (5 ml/L), Panchagavya (30 ml/L), and an untreated control. Among the treatments, the lowest shoot infestation percentage, fruit infestation percentage, and the highest benefit-cost (B:C) ratio were recorded in T5 (Spinosad 45% SC) at 3.83%, 7.20%, and 1:3.20, respectively. This was followed by T4 (Cypermethrin 25% EC) with 6.64%, 10.92%, and 1:3.09; T3 (Neem oil) with 11.85%, 14.89%, and 1:2.27; T1 (Karanj oil) with 13.78%, 18.77%, and 1:2.09; T2 (Illupai oil) with 15.49%, 21.85%, and 1:1.87; T6 (Mahogany oil) with 17.12%, 25.04%, and 1:1.59; T7 (Panchagavya) with 20.63%, 27.80%, and 1:1.59; and the untreated control (T8) with 25.97%, 33.20%, and 1:1.17, respectively.