Evaluation of Botanical Soaps for the Management of Pigeonpea Insect Pests

Abstract

A two year consecutive trial was conducted during kharif 2014-15 and kharif 2015-16 to evaluate neem and pungam soaps @ 10 g l-1 in alone and in combination with indoxacarb (0.5 ml l-1). First spray was given during flowering and second spray was given after fifteen days of the first spray. In both the field trials, neem soap followed by indoxacarb was effective against pigeonpea pod damaging insects followed by pungam soap and indoxacarb. During kharif 2014-15, two sprays of neem soap was on par in efficacy with pungam soap followed by indoxacarb against H. armigera and M. vitrata. When the damage of the pod damaging insects in botanical sprays alone treatments and untreated control was compared, these treatments were effective and good control was achieved. During kharif 2015-16, two sprays of neem soap was on par with NSKE followed by indoxacarb and pungam soap followed by indoxacarb in reducing the damage of H. armigera. In case of M. vitrata, two sprays of neem soap and two sprays of NSKE recorded 50.4 and 44.9% reduction over control and were on par with NSKE followed by indoxacarb in effectiveness. Against plume moth, two sprays of neem soap (4.3% damage) and two sprays of NSKE (5% damage) were on par with pungam soap followed by indoxacarb (4.7% damage).