Effect of Systemic Insecticides on Cowpea Banding Mosaic Virus and Its Transmission by Aphis craccivora Koch

Abstract

Summary Systemic insecticides, disulfoton, thimet, and temik, did not provide appreciable protection of cowpea plants to infection with cowpea banding mosaic virus through Aphis craccivora, though the symptom development was delayed by 9, 7, and 4 days, respectively, but only one week after treatment. Disulfoton and temik, when mixed with the virus extract, inhibited the virus from 35.7 to 71.4%. Higher inhibition was recorded at higher concentrations. Per cent mortality of A. craccivora was more than 50 % up to 46 days after insecticidal treatment at all the dosages, except carbofuran. After 73 days of insecticidal application, maximum aphid mortality was recorded in temik, followed by disulfoton and thimet.