Background Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the bio-efficacy and cumulative effect of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), viz., Lecanicillium lecanii (Zimmermann) Zare and Gams, and Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin and different botanical oils against grape mealy bug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green). M. hirsutus infestation during berry formation has left no option other than chemical management. However, the pesticide application during this stage leads to residues. Thus, safer and sustainable biological need was tested for their effectiveness against M. hirsutus. Results Dipping bioassay technique was used to determine the cumulative mortality. When L. lecanii was used as sole (at 6 and 4 g/l), significant mortality was observed (51.63 and 50.18%). However, the maximum cumulative nymphal mortality was achieved when the combination of EPF formulations was used, i.e., 57.64% with B. bassiana + L. lecanii (6 g/l + 6 g/l). Their effectiveness was at par with the same combination but with minimal concentration, i.e., 4 g/l + 4 g/l (56.29%). Concerning the botanical oils evaluated, neem oil at 15 ml/l achieved a higher mortality of 81.36%. Consecutive effective treatment was a combination of neem oil and pongamia oil (at 10 + 10 ml/l) with 79.65% mortality. However, the standard dosage of neem oil (at 10 ml/l) and IIHR neem soap (at 10 g/l) also recorded the significant mortality of 78.09 and 77.67%, respectively. When compared, the neem oil was found significantly superior in sole and compatible combination than pongamia oil. Conclusions Lecanicillium lecanii and neem oil (sole and in combination with other compatible bioagents) proved significantly better for the management against M. hirsutus with an efficacy of 90.21 and 96.67 % mortality, respectively against the standard chemical control (more than 97%).
Background: Natural farming (NF) is a farming system that uses environmentally friendly pest and disease management practices. In contrast to chemical farming, it avoids use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides and hence, offers an alternative way for the eco-friendly pest management for the sustainable crop production. French bean crop is ravaged by wide array of insect pests wherein, sucking insect-pests like aphids, leaf miner and pod borer causing considerable damage. To manage these pests, farmers are spraying both recommended and non-recommended synthetic chemical pesticides having adverse effects on environment and human beings. Methods: Field experiment was conducted to evaluate the pest management strategies against sucking insect-pests and pod borer infesting French bean over a period of three years from 2019-20 to 2021-22 at College of Horticulture, Sirsi, Uttar Kannada (Hill Zone of Karnataka) during summer season. Four pest management modules viz., farmers practice, organic farming, natural farming (NF) and recommended package of practices (RPP) were evaluated to manage the pests in an eco-friendly manner. The field experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with five replications comprising of four treatments. The standard protocol was followed for recording observations. Result: Among the different modules tested, farmers practice recorded lowest population of aphids, leaf miner and pod borer and was at par with recommended package of practices. Whereas, Organic farming and natural farming recorded moderate level of pest infestation and quite safe for maintaining the predators like Coccinellids, Chrysoperla carnea and spider population for natural predation. The cost of plant protection measures was also least in these modules which indicates the socially and economically acceptable farming practices which may be adopted for safer French bean production.
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