Evaluation of biological control based pest management strategies for rice and chickpea crops
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Date
2022-08
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G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar
Abstract
The present investigation was carried out at the Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand during the kharif and rabi season of 2021-22. Field experiments were undertaken to determine the impact of various BIPM practices on insect pest’s infestation on rice and chickpea in comparison with farmer’s practices. The cumulative mean population of all the standard weeks showed that the lower incidence of yellow stem borer (0.28 YSB/m2), brown plant hopper (1.33 BPH/m2) and leaf folder (0.52 LF/m2) in BIPM plots as compared to farmer’s practice plots (0.31 YSB/m2, 2.19 BPH/m2 and 0.70 LF/m2). BIPM treated plots recorded significantly fewer white ears (6.22% WEH) and more dead hearts (1.25% DH) compared to the plots grown using farmers’ practices (8.18% WEH and 0.80% DH).The results with regard to the abundance of eggs and larval population of gram pod borer have shown that their population were maximum in BIPM plots (4.10 eggs/m2, 7.82 larvae/m2) as compared to FPP with 2.75 eggs/m2 and 5.44 larvae/m2. Study of the extent of larval parasitisation of gram pod borer concluded that a higher mean number (0.36±0.50 LP/m2) of larval parasitisation was recorded in BIPM plots compared to FP plots (0.26±0.31 LP/m2). BIPM plots also recorded significantly higher numbers of predatory population of spiders (1.63 spider/m2), dragonflies (0.71 dragonfly/m2), damselflies (1.08 damselfly/m2), coccinellids (2.61/m2) and wasps (0.68/m2). The highest grain yield of rice and chickpea was recorded in BIPM plots (29 q/ha and 14.56 q/ha, respectively) with a maximum cost benefit ratio of 1:2.24 and 1:3:18, respectively, in comparison to farmer's practice plots (21.7 q/ha and 9.54 q/ha, respectively) with cost benefit ratio of 1:1.35 and 1:1.73, respectively. The correlation studies indicated a significant positive correlation of YSB with maximum temperature in both BIPM plots (r=0.654*) and FPP (r=639*), while BPH showed a positive significant correlation with minimum temperature (r=0.816**) and relative humidity (r=0.717*) in BIPM plots and a non-significant correlation in FPP. In case of gram pod borer, both egg and larval population showed a significant positive correlation with maximum (r=0.78** and r=0.92**) and minimum (r=0.64* and 0.79**) temperature and a negative and significant correlation with morning (r= -0.74* and r= -90**) and evening (r= -0.85* and r= -89**) relative humidity in BIPM plots. Predator like dragonflies (r=0.75**) and damselflies (r=0.62*) showed a positive and significant correlation with minimum temperature, while spiders (r= 0.77**) and damselflies (r= 0.71*) depicted a positive significant correlation with maximum temperature in BIPM plots. Hence, it is confirmed from the results that BIPM module has managed the insect pests very efficiently in both the crops as compared to farmers practice plot. Therefore, these BIPM modules for management of insect pests of rice and chickpea could be utilised for their ecofriendly management. The present study also assessed the effectiveness of various biopesticides and botanicals against H. armigera under laboratory conditions. Among the selected treatments, HaNPV showed superior and recorded a maximum per cent morality of 89.69% at 96 hr., while Neem oil caused the lowest mortality (30.92%). Botanicals and biopesticides both hold promise as potential alternatives to synthetic insecticides for the control of H. armigera. Finally, proper incorporation of these botanicals and biopesticides may lead to future enhanced integrated pest management of H. armigera.