Management of Major Insect Pests Ofbrinjal (Solanum Melongena L.) With Special Reference to Biopesticidal Approaches

Abstract

Brinjal, Solanum melongena Linn. also known as eggplant is an important vegetable crop grown almost in all parts of India, throughout the year, is attacked by several insect pests. For the cost effective management of these pests, some chemical insecticide and biopesticides and their sequences were evaluated during Kharif, 2013 and 2014 at Crop Research Center, Sardar Vallabhbhai University of Agriculture and technology, Meerut, in a randomized block design with three replications. Major pests of brinjal i.e. jassid, whitefly and aphid commenced on brinjal just after the transplanting and reached its peak during first fortnight of September. Thereafter the population was declined. The damage by shoot and fruit borer was highest in first fortnight of September in shoots and first fortnight of October in fruits. The population of these insect pests was influenced by one or more abiotic factors and crop stage. The avoidable yield losses due to major insect pests was 48%. The chemical insecticide imidacloprid was found most effective in reduction of jassid, whitefly and aphid population, while, Bacillus thuringiensis was the least effective treatment. Thiodicarb was found most effective treatment in reduction of shoot and fruit borer incidence and gave maximum fruit yield and highest cost benefit ratio. Efficacy of all the treatment sequences was significantly superior over control in reduction of major insect pests. The treatment sequence of imidacloprid-thiodicorb- spinosad was the most effective against major insect pests viz. jassid, Amrasca biguttula biguttula, whitefly, Bemesia tabaci, aphid, Aphis gossypii and shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbona/is. While sequence of Bacillus thuringiensis - Metarhizium anisopliae- Beauveria bassiana was found least effective.