0 Views
B.M. ABHISHEK*, G.S. PANDURANGA, N.C. VENKATESWARLU, V. SRILATHA AND B. RAMANAMURTHY
Department of Entomology, S.V. Agricultural College, ANGRAU, Tirupati
Efficacy of newer insecticides was tested against melon fly in bitter gourd under field conditions during kharif, 2019. Observations on fruit infestation (%) and larval population per fruit were recorded at 1, 3, 5 and 10 days after spraying of insecticides. Total of 2 sprays were done at 15 days interval after noticing the ovipositional injuries on bitter gourd fruits during fruiting stage of the crop. Among the seven newer insecticides evaluated, spinosad 45 SC @ 0.3 ml L-1 was the most effective insecticide with fruit infestation of 28.62 per cent and larval population of 6.53 per fruit. It was followed by thiodicarb 75 WP @
1.0 g L-1 and emamectin benzoate @0.4 g L-1 with fruit infestation of 31.69 and 34.32 per cent with larval density of 7.48 and 8.82 larvae per fruit, respectively. Per cent reduction of fruit infestation was high in spinosad 45 SC @ 0.3 ml L-1 (55.49%), thiodicarb @ 1.0 g L-1, (50.67%), emamectin benzoate @ 0.4 g L-1 (46.83%) and lambda cyhalothrin @ 1.0 ml L-1 (45.52%) over the control (64.30%). Spinosad 45 SC @ 0.3 ml L-1, thiodicarb @ 1.0 g L-1, lambda cyhalothrin @ 1.0 ml L-1 and emamectin benzoate @
0.4 g L-1 were the most promising insecticides in reducing the larval population to 58.00, 49.58, 45.10 and 43.33 per cent over the control. It is concluded that 2 foliar sprays of wither spinosad 45 SC @ 0.3 ml L-1 or thiodicarb @ 1.0 g L-1 at fruiting stage of the crop is most effective against melon fly in bitter gourd.
KEY WORDS:
Bactrocera cucurbitae, fruit infestation, larval population and newer insecticides.
India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables with an area of 6.64 and 10.35 M ha with annual production of 99.06 and 191.76 MT, respectively (Anonymous, 2019). In India, both major and minor cucurbits are being cultivated in area of 0.54 M ha with
7.10 MT production in 2017-18 sharing about 6.0 per cent of the total vegetable production (Annual report, National Horticulture Board, 2018). Being a large group of vegetables, cucurbits provide better scope to enhance overall production and productivity. Among the cucurbits, bitter gourd is one of the major growing vegetables where, area under cultivation of bitter gourd has gradually increased from 0.99 (2018-19) to 1.01 Lakh ha (2019-
20) with a production of 1.21 MT during 2019-20 (Indiastat, 2019-20). In Andhra Pradesh, bitter gourd is being cultivated in an area of 0.02 Lakh hectares with annual production of 0.17 Lakh tonnes (Indiastat, 2018- 19). Among the various biotic problems that constrain the production of cucurbits, pests and diseases are responsible for huge economic loss.
The melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) is the foremost important fruit fly that attacks 61 plant species belonging to 19 different families, twenty-eight of them are cucurbits and remaining are non-cucurbit hosts (De Meyer et al., 2015).
In India, Lefroy (1907) reported the melon fly, B. cucurbitae for the first time as the major pest of cucurbitaceae causing yield loss up to 70 per cent. It damages over 60 per cent of cucurbit crops in India (Kapoor, 2005) and the extent of losses vary from 30 to 100 per cent (Shooker et al., 2006). The pest damage crop by means of ovipositional injury, larval feeding on ovaries, fruit pulp, and rottening of fly-damaged fruits (Viraktamath et al., 2003). In addition to the direct losses, its economic impacts result in the loss of export markets as well as costly requirement of quarantine restrictions and eradication measures (Badii et al., 2015).
Resistance development and resurgence of pest due to intensive use of insecticides creating nuisance in pest management. Also, most of the insecticides are potentially toxic to humans where, their residues on vegetables causes various health hazards. The availability of newer insecticide with unique mode of action provides a new way for its management. But, the information on the use of newer insecticides to manage fruit fly on bitter gourd is very scanty. With these observations in view, the present investigation is carried out to identify the most promising and effective insecticide against melon fly in bitter gourd.
The exeriment was conducted in a pendal system at Horiculture garden of S.V. Agriculture college, Tirupati in RBD with eight treatments (Table 1.) and three replications with plot size of 4 m × 3.5 m. Seedlings of 4- 5 leave stage (Variety: Dhanvi Ktahi) were transplanted at plant spacing of 1 m × 0.35 m. Crop was raised by following package of practices recommended by Dr. YSR Horticulture University, Andhra Pradesh except crop protection practices.
Pre-treatment count of fruit infestation and larval population per fruit were recorded at one day before the impose of first foliar spray. First spraying was done at the time of fruit setting stage after noticing the oviposition marks on bitter gourd fruits. Second spray was done at 15 days after first spray. Fruits were picked from randomly selected five plants from each treatment at 1st, 3rd, 5th and 10th day after spraying (Srinivas et al., 2018). Observations on per cent fruit infestation and larval population per fruit were recorded by following the methodology given by Dhillon et al. (2005).
Fruit yield from all the treatments including control was also recorded to know the impact of insecticide on crop yield. In each plot, irrespective of healthy and infested, marketable sized bitter gourd fruits were harvested. At each fruit picking, the healthy and infested fruits were sorted out separately, weighed and noted. The weight of the healthy fruits from all the fruit pickings in each plot was pooled to get yield per plot (kg) and was converted to yield per hectare (tonnes).
The data were analysed using one-way ANOVA. The mean values for all the parameters were calculated and the analysis of variance was accomplished. Means were separated by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) using SPSS 16 software.
The results of present investigation on efficacy of newer insecticides against melon fly in bitter gourd conducted during kharif, 2019 were showed significant variation in reduction of fruit infestation presented in Table 1 and Fig. 1. The results revealed the no significant differences in fruit infestation and larval population among the treatments during record of pre count on melon fly infestation in bitter gourd which indicate uniform infestation. After insecticidal application, all the treatments showed significant reduction in fruit infestation over control and significance difference was observed among the treatments.
From the experimental result, the spinosad @ 0.3 ml L-1 was found significantly most effective insecticide in minimizing the fruit infestation to 28.62 per cent with higher per cent reduction of fruit infestation (55.49%) over control. And it was statistically on par with thiodicarb @ 1.0 g L-1 which was recorded with lower fruit infestation (31.72%) and 50.67 per cent reduction of fruit infestation over control. The emamectin benzoate @ 0.4 g L-1, lambda cyhalothrin @ 1.0 ml L-1 and flubendiamide @ 0.75 ml L-1 were the next best insecticides with fruit infestation of 34.32, 35.09 and 36.39 per cent, respectively. Relatively higher fruit infestation of 39.32 and 43.02 per cent was recorded in chlorantraniliprole @ 0.2 ml L-1 and malathion @ 2 ml L-1, respectively which were found inferior with lowest reduction of fruit infestation (31.94 and 31.40%) over the control.
The spinosad @ 0.3 ml L-1 has showed the greater effect in per cent reduction of larval population (58.00%) over the control with lowest larval population of 6.53 per fruit. And thiodicarb @ 1.0 g L-1 was the next best insecticide with 7.84 larval population per fruit followed by lambda cyhalothrin @ 1.0 ml L-1 (8.54 / fruit), emamectin benzoate @ 0.4 g L-1 (8.82) and flubendiamide @ 0.75 ml L-1 (8.92 / fruit) which are statistically on par with significant per cent reduction of larval population ranging from 42.69 to 49.58 over control. Higher larval population of 10.67 and 10.59 per fruit was recorded in chlorantraniliprole @ 0.2 ml L-1 and malathion @ 2 ml L-1, respectively were found inferior with lowest reduction (36.92 and 35.02%) of larval population over the control.
Effect of insecticidal treatments against melon fly on fruit yield of bitter gourd revealed the significantly higher marketable fruit yield of the all the treatment over the control. Higher marketable fruit yield of 12.86 tons ha-1 harvested from spinosad @ 0.3 ml L-1 treatment followed by thiodicarb @ 1.0 g L-1 (12.09 tons ha-1). Fruit yield was evidently higher (11.67 tons ha-1) in emamectin benzoate @ 0.4 g L-1 followed by lambda cyhalothrin @
1.0 ml L-1, flubendiamide @ 0.75 ml L-1, chlorantraniliprole @ 0.2 ml L-1 and malathion @ 2 ml L-1 ranging from 8.62-11.53 t ha-1.
The investigation on efficacy of newer insecticides against melon fly in bitter gourd revealed that two sprays of spinosad @ 0.3 ml L-1 at 15 days interval was found significantly superior over rest of the insecticides tested in reducing melon fly infestation. Spinosad 45 EC 0.3 ml L-1 was recorded with significantly highest per cent reduction of fruit infestation (55.49%) over control with lowest fruit infestation (28.62%), larval population per fruit (6.53 / fruit) and highest marketable yield of bitter gourd (12.86 t ha-1). Our results are in concurred with the findings of Waseem et al. (2009) reported the significantly lower fruit infestation of 9.00, 5.00 and 4.00 per cent of melon fly in cucumber with Spinosad 45 SC treatment during first, second and third spray, respectively. Recently, Srinivas et al. (2018) conclude that the spinosad 45 EC @ 0.15 ml L-1 was found most effective against melon fly insignificant reduction of fruit infestation (14.92 and 17.90%), larval population (8.0 and 8.93/fruit) with maximum yield (15.63 and 16.49 ton ha-1) of cucumber during both Kharif and summer seasons, respectively. Vinutha and Kotikal (2018) also opined the higher efficacy of spinosad 45 EC @ 0.3 ml L-1 against melon fly in reducing the fruit infestation to 4.83 per cent in melons with yield of 18.16 tons ha-1.
The spinosad 45 EC treatment was statistically on par with thiodicarb @ 1.0 g L-1 with fruit infestation 31.72 per cent of, larval population of 7.84 / fruit and 12.09 t ha-1 of marketable yield was recorded. Nehra et al. (2019) reported the significantly lower fruit infestation melon fly from the thiodicarb 75 WP @ 2 ml L-1 (14.82%) treatment in round gourd when compare to malathion 50 EC @ 0.05 per cent (17.10%).
While, emamectin benzoate @ 0.4 g L-1 was the next best treatment with fruit infestation of 34.32 per cent, larval population (8.82) and 11.67 tons of yield per hectare followed by flubendiamide @ 0.75 ml L-1 and lambda cyhalothrin @ 1.0 ml L-1. Similar results were also found by Bharadiya and Bhut (2017) that the emamectin benzoate 5 SG (0.002%) as most effective insecticide in reducing the fruit infestation to 20.62 per cent and larval density to 2.19 per fruit followed by lambda-cyhalothrin 5 EC (0.005%) (25.52% and 2.31/fruit) against melon fly in sponge gourd. Recently, Abrol et al. (2019) conclude that ›-cyhalothrin (0.004%) was found superior over the control in reduction of B. cucurbitae and B. tau infestation to 14.62 and 17.38 per cent in bottle gourd, respectively. Bhowmik et al. (2014) and Nehra et al. (2017) reported the significant higher effectiveness of flubendiamide 480 SC @ 2 ml L-1 against melon fly management compared to malathion.
Chlorantraniliprole @ 0.2 ml L-1 (36.92%) and malathion @ 2 ml L-1 (35.02%) were found superior over the control but inferior over the other insecticide as they recorded with 39.32 and 43.02 per cent of fruit infestation,
10.67 and 10.59 larvae per fruit with 9.81 and 8.62 tons ha-1 of marketable yield, respectively. Present findings are supported by Srinivas et al. (2018) that malathion 50 EC @ 2.0 ml L-1 was found to be least effective against melon fly with highest higher fruit infestation (27.43%), larval population (11.11 / fruit) and ovipositional punctures (1.40 / fruit).Where, cyantraniliprole 10.26 OD @ 1.8 ml L-1 which belongs to the same group of chlorantraniliprole with similar mode of action was found relatively less effective with 26.40 per cent fruit infestation, 11.09 maggots per fruit and 1.40 ovipositional punctures per fruit.
Based on mean incidence fruit infestation recorded during two foliar spray, the efficacy of newer insecticides are organised in descending order as follows:
Spinosad @ 0.3 ml L-1 (28.62% and 6.53 / fruit) > Thiodicarb @ 1.0 g L-1 (31.72% and 7.84 / fruit) > emamectin benzoate @ 0.4 g L-1 (34.32% and 8.82 / fruit)
> Lambda cyhalothrin @ 1.0 ml L-1 (35.09% and 8.54 / fruit) > Flubendiamide @ 0.75 ml L-1 (36.39% and 8.92 / fruit) > Chlorantraniliprole @ 0.2 ml L-1 (39.32% and
10.67 / fruit) > Malathion @ 2 ml L-1 (43.02% and 10.59
/ fruit) > Control (64.30% and 15.56 / fruit).
Field experiment on efficacy of newer insecticides against melon fly in bitter gourd revealed that two foliar spray of Spinosad @ 0.3 ml L-1 at 15 days interval resulted in significant reduction of fruit infestation over rest of the treatments with lowest fruit infestation, larval population per fruit and highest fruit yield. Thiodicarb @ 1.0 g L-1 found as next best treatment in the order of efficacy against melon fly followed by emamectin benzoate @ 0.4 g L-1, flubendiamide @ 0.75 ml L-1 and lambda cyhalothrin @ 1.0 ml L-1.
I am very much grateful to Acharya N.G Ranga Agricultural University, LAM, Guntur and Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi for the assistance provided in the form of stipend partly supporting my PG studies.
Abrol, D., Gupta, D and Sharma, I. 2019. Evaluation of insecticides, biopesticides and clay for the management of fruit fly, Bactrocera spp. infesting bottle gourd. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies. 7: 311-314.
Anonymous, 2019. http://www.indiastat.com.
Badii, K.B., Billah, M.K., Afresh-Nuamah, K., Obeng- Ofori, D and Nyakro, G. 2015. Review of pest status, economic impact and management of fruit-infesting flies in Africa. African Journal of Agricultural Research. 10: 1482-1498.
Bharadiya, A.M and Bhut, J.B. 2017. Effect of different insecticides against fruit fly, Bactroceracucurbitae (Coquillett) infesting sponge gourd. International Journal of Chemical Studies. 5: 1866-1868.
Bhowmik, P., Mandal, D and Chatterjee, M.L. 2014. Biorational management of melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae on pointed gourd. Indian Journal of Plant Protection. 42: 34-37.
De Meyer, M., Delatte, H., Mwatawala, M., Quilici, S., Jean-Francois, V and Virgilio, M. 2015. A review of the current knowledge on Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Africa, with a list of species included in Zeugodacus. ZooKeys 540: 539-577.
Dhillon, M.K., Singh, R., Naresh, J.S and Sharma, H.C. 2005. The melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae: A review of its biology and management. Journal of Insect Science. 5: 40-56.
Kapoor, V.C. 2005. Taxonomy and biology of economically important fruit flies of India. Israel Journal of Entomology. 459: 35-36.
Lefroy, M. 1907. The more important insects injurious to Indian agriculture. In Memories of Department of Agriculture in India (Entomological series). 1: 113- 252.
Nehra, S., Singh, S.P., Samota, R.G and Choudhary, A.K. 2019. Bio-efficacy of newer insecticides and biopesticides against fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) on round gourd. Journal of entomology and Zoology Studies. 7: 97-101.
Shooker, P., Khayrattee, F and Permalloo, S. 2006. Use of maize as a trap crops for the control of melon fly,
B. cucurbitae (Diptera : Tephritidae) with GF-120. Bio-control and other Control Methods. 87: 354.
Srinivas, M.P., Suchithra, K.M.H., Hanumantharaya, L., Thippeshappa, G.N and Yalleshkumar, H.S. 2018. Bio-efficacy of insecticides against fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) in Cucumber. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies. 6: 449- 452.
Vinutha, B and Kotikal, Y.K. 2018. Management practices for fruit fly, Bactocera cucurbitae Coq. affected on Cucumis melo L. var. conomon. Journal of Entomology and Zoology. 6(3): 99-100.
Viraktamath, C.A., Mallik, B., Chandrashekar, S.C., Ramakrishna, B.V and Praveen, H.M. 2003. Insect pests and diseases on gherkins and their management. Technical Bulletin. University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India.
Waseem, M.A., Nagangoud, A., Patil, B.V., Prabhuraj, A and Hussain, A. 2009 Efficacy of some insecticides against melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquillett on cucumber. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 22: 701-702.