English

Abstract

Field experiment was set up in November 2011 and continued up to March 2013 on 324 m2 backyard garden plot of a farmer‘s residential area. The experiment was laid in 6 m × 6 m Latin square design. The treatments were polyethelene bag covered wooden sticks, chlorpyrifos 48% E.C. treated and polyethelene bag covered wooden sticks, Masea lanceolata treated and polyethelene bag covered wooden sticks, chlorpyrifos 48% E.C treated planting hole, M. lanceolata treated planting hole and untreated check. Every three months, termite infestation, damage and damage severity were recorded. The chlorpyrifos 48% E.C. treated polyethelene bag covered wooden sticks (0.2) and the chlorpyrifos 48% E.C. treated planting hole (0.2) protected termite infestation and damage throughout the study period starting from six months after application of treatment. In the rest of the treatments, damage progressed towards the end of the experiment with no significant difference amongst them. The severity of damage was significantly lower in chlorpyrifos 48% E.C. treated polyethelene bag covered wooden sticks (3 and 1.3) and chlorpyrifos 48% E.C treated planting hole (4.4 and 2.3) than the other treatments starting from twelve to eighteen months after application of treatments. Conclusively, chlorpyrifos 48% E.C. treated polyethelene bag covered wooden sticks and chlorpyrifos 48% E.C treated planting hole protected the wooden construction materials from both genera of termites. However, the chlorpyrifos 48% E.C. treated polyethelene bag covered wooden sticks was superior in providing longer duration of protection and reduction of environmental hazards. In the former treatment, no chemical was in contact with soils that saves not only contamination of soils and ground water but also reduced the rate of the biodegradability of the chemical. Key words: Masea lanceolata, polyethelene bag, chlorpyrifos.