EFFECT OF IPM/IRM STRATEGIES FOR PINK BOLLWORM, PECTINOPHORA GOSSYPIELLA SAUNDERS INFESTING BTCOTTON

Abstract

Farmers had initiated indiscriminate use of insecticides against pink bollworm and incurred high cost of managing. Unless extension initiatives to create awareness to manage pink bollworm, the situation may further lead to yield losses, distress of cotton farmers and threat to sustainability that in turn will have a cascading effect on textile industries and economy. Keeping in view, pink bollworm management strategies comprising of timely sowing, use of refuge, recommended nutrition, monitoring through pheromone traps, release of bio-control agent, recommended insecticide sprays at ETL, field sanitation and timely termination of the crop formulated by ICAR-CICR, Nagpur were disseminated and demonstrated to 50 beneficiary farmers in irrigated tract of Valia taluka of Bharuch district. Amongst sucking pests population, aphid, thrips and leafhopper had crossed ETL once and whitefly and mealybug remained below ETL during the season in IRM-FLD plots whereas aphid, thrips and leafhopper crossed ETL 4, 1 and 5 times, respectively whereas whitefly and mealybug remain below ETL during the season in non-IRM plots. Sucking pests required average 2.90 sprays in IRM-FLDs plots whereas slightly higher 3.00 in non IRM plot. For pink bollworm management, 2.20 and 2.70 sprays were targeted by farmers under IRM and non-IRM plots condition, respectively. Seed cottonyield varied from 830 to 979 kg/acre and from 810 to 968 kg/acre under IRM and non IRM condition, respectively. The net return was found higher in IRM plots (Rs. 21,500 to 27,875/acre) than the non IRM (Rs. 18,740 to 25,663/acre). The FLDs and outreach extension activities aided in educating and percolating technology to adjacent periphery of the region.