Sharma, SudhenduGurpinder Singh2023-07-172023-07-172022Gurpinder Singh (2022). Biocontrol of pink stem borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker) in major cereal crops of Punjab (Unpublished M.Sc. thesis). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810198310The present study was conducted during the years 2021 and 2022 at Dr Gurcharn Singh Kalkat Laboratories, Entomological Research Farm, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana and at the farmer‘s fields at Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Sri Muktsar Sahib districts. There were a total of three experiments where in diversity of natural enemies associated with Sesamia inferens, parasitism potential of larval parasitoid, Sturmiopsis inferens on S. inferens under laboratory conditions and evaluation of efficacy of Sturmiopsis inferens for the management of S. inferens under field conditions was studied. Among the natural enemies associated with S. inferens, two egg parasitoids (Trichogramma chilonis and Trichogramma japonicum), two larval parasitoids (Sturmiopsis inferens and Cotesia flavipes) and one pupal parasitoid (Tetrastichus israeli) were recorded. Among the three agroclimatic zones; maize, rice and wheat fields at Hoshiarpur harboured higher populations of natural enemies as compared to fields at Ludhiana and Sri Muktsar Sahib. Among different larval instars of S. inferens, the 4th and 5th instar were more suitable for Sturmiopsis inferens with higher per cent parasitism (61-65%), larval survival (50-57%), pupal survival (91-94 %) and more proportion of females in the progeny. Two intervals i.e., one at 10 days and the other at 15 days were followed for releasing different doses of Sturmiopsis inferens during August-October in rice and November-December in wheat. Among different doses (gravid females @ 75, 100, 125, 150 per ha), dose of 150 gravid females per ha showed the highest effect w.r.t. decrease in stemborer incidence and increase in yield over control in basmati rice and wheat and it was statistically at par with the lower dose of 125 gravid female per ha.EnglishThesis