Impact of Integrated Pest Management Modules on the Activity of Natural Enemies in Castor Ecosystem

Abstract

Investigations were carried out during 2001-2004 to study the impact of biointensive integrated pest management (BIPM), chemical pesticide intensive integrated pest management (CIPM) modules and non-integrated pest management (non-IPM) modules (farmers' practice) on the natural enemies of insect pests of castor in Andhra Pradesh. BIPM module proved to be relatively safer to natural enemies with 16.13 and 66.10 % average field parasitization of Achaea janata (L.) eggs and larvae by Trichogramma chilonis Ishii and Microplitis maculipennis Szepligeti, compared to 6.92 and 21.2, 8.80 and 24.00, 8.92 and 22.35 % in CIPM module and non-IPM modules 1 and 2, respectively. M. maculipennis cocoon number per plant increased with increase in duration after treatment in the BIPM module whereas it decreased in CIPM and non-IPM modules. Similarly, average parasitisation by Charops obtusus Morley (3.54%), Rhogas spp. (4.60%), Apanteles hyposidrae Wilkinson (13.85%), Euplectrus maternus Bhatnagar (7.92%) on A. janata larvae and Cotesia flavipes Cameron (8.96%) on Spodoptera litura (F.) was higher in the BIPM module compared to CIPM module (1.65, 1.59, 3.50, 2.37 and 2.49%) and non-IPM modules 1(1.16, 0.80, 2.70, 1.20 and 2.68%) and 2 (1.50, 1.19, 2.80, 3.82 and 1.99%), respectively. BIPM module had higher population of predators like Chrysoperla sp., Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius), Cantheconidea furcellata (Wolff), Rhynocoris kumarii Ambrose and Livingstone and spiders per 10 plants (8.45, 3.41, 3.27 and 7.10) than CIPM module (1.75, 2.90, 1.38, 1.45 and 1.40) and non-IPM modules 1(1.20, 1.82, 1.00, 1.00 and 1.80) and 2 (1.97, 2.41, 1.32, 1.22 and 2.90), respectively. Black drongo ( Dicrurus adsimilis Blyth) and Indian myna ( Acridotheres tristis (L.)) were the predominant predatory birds which used bird perches frequently while predating on A. janata, S. litura and Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenee) larvae in BIPM and CIPM modules compared to non-IPM modules.