Screening of coconut varieties against invasive Bondar’s nesting whitefly (BNW), Paraleyrodes bondari Peracchi on coconut and management using biopesticides

Abstract

Coconut breeding for biotic and abiotic stress is vital and screening of coconut varieties against whitefly complex is important to know the tolerance levels which could be helpful in breeding programs for developing resistant varieties against whitefly complex. The present study was conducted at HRS, Ambajipeta on ten different cultivars of coconut. The mean population count of different stages of BNW was 22.51 webs, 9.30 nymphs, 6.88 pupa and 18.05 adults, minimum pest population was observed in Kera Bastar variety. In Gautami ganga, among the various biopesticides tested against nymphs, pupa and adults of BNW Isaria fumosoroseas NBAIR pfu-5 @ 5 ml/L was found to be effective in reducing the nymphal population by 44.11%, pupal population by 42.42% and adult population by 54.75% followed by Azadirachtin.