ABSTRACT
The bio-efficacy of eco-friendly pesticides (botanicals: Azadirachtin, 10000 ppm, neem seed kernel extract (NSKE), Mittimax; microbials: Bacillus thuringiensis 5% WP, Beauveria bassiana, Spinosad 45% SC; and IGR (insect growth regulator): diflubenzuron + deltamethrin 22% SC) was evaluated for use in managing cabbage head borer (Spodoptera litura 262Fab.) population. An experiment was conducted at the Central Research Farm, Gayeshpur, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia, West Bengal, during the rabi season of 2007–2010. The experiment was carried out in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Cabbage (cv. Green express) seedlings were transplanted in the plot of 4 m × 3 m area with 50 cm × 50 cm spacing. The counting of S. litura population was made one day before as pretreatment and 1, 3, 7, and 10 days after treatment. All the insecticides were superior in controlling the Spodoptera population in comparison to untreated control. Among the different treatments, diflubenzuron + deltamethrin 22% SC recorded the highest 75.81% population reduction and proved to be the most effective treatment followed by B. bassiana @ 0.5% and NSKE, with population reduction of 60.72% and 60.35%, respectively. The percent increase of yield over control ranged from 11.41% to 50.13% in pesticide treatments with the highest yield in Spinosad 45% SC as against 32.79 t/ha in untreated control. The research indicated that all the eco-friendly pesticides were effective against cabbage head borer.
