Abstract
BackgroundThe hog-plum, locally known as “amra”, is a deciduous perennial tree with thick succulent leaves and it grows all over the country, but the quality fruits are produced only in the southern districts of Bangladesh. Its cultivation is seriously hampered by hog-plum leaf beetle or 14 spotted leaf beetle, Podontia 14-punctata Linn. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). In most of the cases, insecticidal spray is not effective for controlling this pest as pupation completed in the soil. Therefore, the present study was carried out under both laboratory and field conditions to develop environment friendly sustainable management approaches against the hog-plum beetle.ResultsLaboratory test revealed that spraying with green pesticide spinosad (Success® 2.5% SC) at hog-plum leaflet and drenching with microbial pesticide Metarhizium anisopliae + Trichoderma harzianum + Beauveria bassiana + Trichoderma viride (Lycomax, Russell IPM) causes 75.00% larvae, 72.22% adults and 51.85% pupal mortality,, respectively. Some pest management approaches were developed based on the laboratory results, they were verified in field, during the two successive fruiting seasons 2018 and 2019. Field study indicated that approach 1: Hand picking + trunk banding with packaging tape + soil drenching with lycomax, Russell IPM + spraying of spinosad treated trees offered lowest leaf and fruit infestation; even though trunk banding with packaging tape did not show any effect to control this pest. Fruit yield was also increased 39.04–39.66% in approach 1 imposing hog-plum trees compared to control.ConclusionThe study showed that without banding of the hog-plum trunk, hand picking + soil drenching with microbial pesticides, lycomax, Russell IPM + spraying of spinosad might be sustainable and environment friendly pest management approach against P. 14-punctata.
Highlights
The hog-plum, locally known as “amra”, is a deciduous perennial tree with thick succulent leaves and it grows all over the country, but the quality fruits are produced only in the southern districts of Bangladesh
T1 = soil drenching with microbial pesticides, Lycomax, Russell IPM; T2 = spraying spinosad at hog-plum leaflet; T3 = spraying azadirachtin at hog-plum leaflet; T4 = spraying of chlorpyripos + cypermethrin at hog-plum leaflet
The highest larval and adult populations’ reduction (82.40–82.58 and 78.50–80.88%) over control is observed in T1, which consisted of hand picking + soil drenching with microbial pesticides, lycomax + trunk banding with packaging tape + spinosad treated trees, followed by T 2 (hand picking + soil drenching with microbial pesticides, lycomax + azadirachtin and Farmers practice T 4 (Tables 4, 6)
Summary
The hog-plum, locally known as “amra”, is a deciduous perennial tree with thick succulent leaves and it grows all over the country, but the quality fruits are produced only in the southern districts of Bangladesh. Spraying of a green pesticide spinosad and soil inoculation of bio-pesticide M. anisopliae and B. bassiana have proven to be the most effective against other beetles, weevils and hemipteran bugs can play an important role in pest’s reduction (McLeod et al 2002; Jones et al 2005; Ekesi et al 2011, Amy and Tobin 2020). As this pest is external feeder and pupates in soil (Akata et al 2021), it is easier to suppress by using soil inoculums and spraying contact or systemic insecticides. The present study aims to search for a friendly sustainable pest management approach against the hogplum leaf beetle under laboratory and field evaluation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
