EVALUATION OF CERTAIN PLANT PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS AGAINST BANANA LEAF AND FRUIT SCARRING BEETLE, Nodostoma subcostatum Jacoby (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE)
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Date
2021
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AAU, Jorhat
Abstract
Field experiments were conducted in the Horticulture Experimental farm, Department of Horticulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during 2020-21 to evaluate certain plant products and chemicals against banana leaf and fruit scarring beetle, Nodostoma subcostatum Jacoby. The seasonal abundance of leaf and fruit scarring beetle on Dwarf Cavendish (Jahaji) was assessed on weekly basis from May, 2020 to April, 2021. The mean beetle population was highest during August, 2020 and the least was during January, 2021. Several meteorological factors have influenced the fluctuation of the scarring beetle population.
For field evaluation, the treatments were applied at three critical stages of growth of the banana plant and among the treatments tested, imidacloprid 17.8 SL @20 g a.i./ha was the best effective treatment in all the three stages of the crop in reducing the beetle population i.e., at 3, 7 and 10 days after treatment, followed by NSKE 1500 ppm @3ml/L and lambda-cyhalothrin 5%EC @0.3ml/L. Among the plant extracts used, Xanthium strumarium @ 10 per cent stood out as the highest in minimizing the beetle population and the infestation over the other two plant extracts viz. Lantana camara and Pongamia glabra @10 per cent respectively. Imidacloprid 17.8 SL efficiently recorded as the best treatment in reducing the number of leaf scars per 5 cm2 leaf surface area whereas Pongamia glabra was the least effective. Reduction in fruit damage was also exhibited best by imidacloprid 17.8 SL (8.23 %) treatment followed by NSKE 1500 ppm (12.44 %), lambda-cyhalothrin 5% EC (16.45 %), Xanthium strumarium (19.28 %), Lantana camara (34.10 %) and Pongamia glabra (36.4 %).
The present experiment brought out a conclusion that plants which possess insecticidal properties can be used as an alternative for synthetic insecticides and also in combination with synthetic insecticides, it can further amplify the management strategies in reducing the pest damage.