Incremental Cost Benefit Ratio Research Articles

Incremental Cost Benefit Ratio (ICBR) of Poly House and Open Field Conditions in Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) after Chemical Intervention

This study evaluates the Incremental Cost Benefit Ratio (ICBR) between Poly house and Open field conditions in cabbage cultivation chemical intervention. The research aimed to compare the economic feasibility of adopting poly house technology over traditional open field methods, considering costs and benefits associated with chemical inputs. A comparative cost analysis was conducted to assess production expenses like costs for insecticidal treatments and labor charges. Yield data from both environments were collected to determine output differences and subsequent economic returns. Results indicate that Incremental cost benefit ratio of cabbage heads yields to the cost of treatments in poly house and open field presented as there was a significant superior difference in ICBR ratio of poly house with 1: 0.946 as compared to open field with 1: 0.639 of cabbage heads. The economic analysis revealed that the higher yields and quality achieved in poly house conditions due to less dissipation and undisturbed environmental factors on insecticide applied. Resulting in a favorable incremental Cost benefit ratio compared to open field cultivation.

Innovative Strategies for Controlling Sorghum Shoot Fly: Seed Treatments and Botanical Insecticides

Aim: To assess the efficacy of various treatments for managing sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona soccata Rondani, and their effects on plant vigour, growth, yield, and Incremental Cost-Benefit Ratio (ICBR). Study Design: A field experiment with a Randomized Block Design, involving three replications and nine treatments. Place and Duration of Study: Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar (29.1492° N, 75.7217° E), during the Kharif season of 2020. Methodology: Sorghum variety Swarna was sown in August 2020. Treatments included Imidacloprid 70WS, Thiamethoxam 30FS, Neem oil, Karanj oil, and their combinations. Treatments were applied at 7 and 17 days after emergence. Data on plant stand, egg counts, dead hearts (%), plant height, green fodder yield, and ICBR were analyzed. Results: Thiamethoxam 30FS @ 10ml/kg + neem oil @ 2% showed the best performance, significantly reducing shoot fly infestation (19.98%) and enhancing plant vigour (1.00), height (86.93 cm), and yield (309.60 q/ha). Neem oil @ 2% was more effective than Karanj oil @ 2%. Imidacloprid 70WS had the highest Incremental Cost Benefit Ratio (ICBR) (1:21), while Karanj oil @ 2% had the lowest (1:0.78). Conclusion: Thiamethoxam 30FS @ 10ml/kg + neem oil @ 2% was the most effective for managing shoot fly and improving crop performance. Imidacloprid 70WS offered the highest economic benefit, indicating its cost-effectiveness in pest management.

Impact of biopolymer-based Trichoderma harzianum seed coating on disease incidence and yield in oilseed crops

The use of microbe-based biological control for crop pests is recognized as an environmentally safe substitute for conventional chemical pesticides. However, the practical application of microbial inoculants in large-scale agriculture is underexplored, impeding their widespread commercial adoption. This study addresses the scarcity of research on effective delivery methods for microbial inoculants, particularly through seed coating, which has the potential to be a cost- and time-efficient strategy in crop management. In this research, the Trichoderma harzianum strain Th4d, a biological control agent (BCA), was incorporated into specially formulated biopolymeric compositions based on chitosan and cellulose. The efficacy of this seed coating approach was tested against various soil- and seed-borne pathogens in oilseed crops, including soybean, groundnut, and safflower. Results indicate that safflower treated with the biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blend exhibited a higher seed yield of 793 kg/ha, seed germination of 84.7 %, and a significant reduction in wilt and root rot by 64.7 %. In groundnut crops, the seed coating led to a seed germination rate of 88.6 %, a 72 % reduction in root rot incidence, and a seed yield of 3040 kg/ha. Similarly, soybean crops treated with the biopolymer chitosan and T. harzianum Th4d displayed 83.4 % seed germination, a 70.9 % reduction in root rot, and a seed yield of 1239 kg/ha. Further on-farm evaluations demonstrated promising results, with the biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blend seed treatment showing a high incremental cost-benefit ratio in safflower (1:4.5), soybean (1:2.5), and groundnut crops (1:3.3). This study underscores the potential of microbe-based seed coating as a sustainable and economically viable strategy for pest management in oilseed crops."

Enhancing yield and economic benefits through sustainable pest management in Okra cultivation.

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a prominent vegetable crop in Asia, confronting persistent threats from pests such as leafhoppers, whiteflies, and shoot and fruit borers. Conventional chemical control methods, despite their adverse ecological effects, remain the primary approach for pest management. Indiscriminate chemical use has led to reduced biodiversity among natural predators and the disruption of food webs in ecosystems. To address these challenges, this study assessed the efficacy of integrated (IM) and biointensive (BM) pest management modules in comparison to conventional chemical methods (CM) for mitigating insect damage to okra leaves and fruits, and subsequently, their impact on okra yield. Our result revealed that the BM exhibited the least effectiveness but outperformed untreated control plots significantly. In contrast, both IM and CM significantly reduced damage from sap-sucking insects and borer pests. Notably, plots treated with the chemical module found decreased populations of natural enemies. The IM demonstrated the lowest fruit infestation rate (5.06%), yielding the highest crop production (8.97 t ha-1), along with the maximum net return (Indian Rupees: 44,245) and incremental cost-benefit ratio (3.31). Thus, the study suggested that the implementation of integrated pest management practices can result in higher okra yields and greater economic benefits. These findings shed light on the potential of sustainable agricultural practices as a safer and more economically viable alternative to chemical-intensive pest control in okra cultivation.

Multi-objective optimization of rural residential envelopes in cold regions of China based on performance and economic efficiency

Building envelope renovation solutions are critical to building performance and post-renovation economics. Building renovation is easier to carry out if the impacts of building envelope renovation solutions on building performance and post-renovation economic efficiency can be foreseen and a more sustainable and efficient renovation design can be achieved. This paper explores the optimal design of building envelope renovation using genetic optimization algorithms and statistical analysis methods, taking the performance of the renovated building and the economic efficiency of the renovation solution as the starting points. In Qingdao, a cold region of China, a survey was carried out on typical rural areas in seven regions. The selected design variables include the external wall and roof insulation material type(TWall, TRoof), external wall and roof insulation thickness(δWall, δRoof), type of window construction(TWc), and area radio of the window to the wall(WWR). Minimization of total building energy consumption(E) and renovation cost(COSTRE) and after renovation maximization of the combined incremental cost-benefit ratio over a 20-year life cycle(CICBR20-year life-cycle), effective natural daylighting illuminance(UDI), and percentage of time spent in indoor comfort(PTC) were considered in the optimization of the envelope. The results show that in cold regions, different envelope renovation solutions affect the optimization objectives to different degrees; changing the south-facing window-to-wall ratio(S_WWR) has a bigger effect on E, PTC, and UDI; and choosing different TRoof has a bigger effect on COSTRE and CICBR20-year life-cycle. Renovation of the selected typical rural residence with the optimal solution results in an energy-saving rate(Re) of 53.08 %, an increase of 940.86 h/year in annual indoor comfort hours(HIC) and 377.00 h/year in annual effective natural lighting hours(HUDI).

Efficacy of Biopesticides and Insecticides against Lepidopteran Pests in Rainfed Castor

Field experiments were conducted during kharif 2022 to evaluate the bio-efficacy of biopesticides and insecticides against tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (F.);semilooper, Achaea janata L. and shoot and capsule borer, Conogethes punctiferalis Guenee on castor. The results revealed that, all the insecticide treatments were significantly superior over untreated control. The highest% reduction of lepidopteran pest complex over the control after three sprays was recorded with spinetoram 11.7 SC followed by cyantraniliprole 10.26 OD, Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) SC, profenophos 50 EC, lambda cyhalothrin 5 EC and B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) WP 1.5, Beauveria bassiana SC and Neemazal 10000 PPM. Highest seed yield was recorded with spinetoram (1434 kg/ ha) followed by cyantraniliprole (1338 kg/ ha) as against 940 kg/ ha in untreated control. The maximum incremental cost-benefit ratio of 1:3.13 was obtained with application of spinetoram followed by lambda-cyhalothrin (1:3.00) and Btk SC (1:2.73).

Management of late blight (Phytophthora infestans) of potato (Solanum tuberosum) through efficient spray schedule of fungicides in the north-eastern Himalayan region of India

Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, belongs to order Peronosporales is one of the most destructive phytopathogen causing late blight disease of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The disease symptoms appear on leaf, petiole, stem, and tubers at any stage of crop growth and may cause severe disease epidemics leading to complete defoliation and extensive yield loss. The field experiments were conducted during 2020–21 and 2021–22 at Chesrimai GP, Charilam block, Sepahijala, Tripura to find out the effective management strategies with fungicides to mitigate the losses caused by the devastating disease. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) in 3 replications with 8 treatments having different fungicides in different combinations for determining the best spray schedule against late bight disease. Results revealed that one spraying of Mancozeb 75% @0.25% at 35 days after sowing (DAS), second spraying of Cymoxanil 8% + Mancozeb 64% @0.25% at 42 DAS, and third spraying of Mancozeb 75% @0.25% at 49 DAS and fourth spraying of Cymoxanil 8% + Mancozeb 64% @ 0.25% at 56 DAS recorded the best performing treatment, with the least mean disease severity (10.54 and 7.30%), the least mean disease incidence (15.00 and 12.75%), the least coefficient of disease index (CODEX) value (1.58% and 0.93%), and highest tuber yield (21.27 and 21.68 t/ha) during 2020–21 and 2021–22, respectively. In addition, there were 26.6 and 27.7% increase in yield over control during 2020–21 and 2021–22, respectively and the pooled incremental cost benefit ratio (ICBR) of 1:16.09 was found to be highest among all other treatments. Efficient spray schedule of prophylactic/ preventive spray with contact fungicide followed by spraying with translaminar/systemic + contact fungicide can effectively manage the late blight disease of potato under field conditions.

Comparative Economics of Different Management Tactics by Novel Insecticides against Pest Complex on Capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) under Protected Conditions

Field experiment was conducted under shade net house at Hi-Tech Horticulture Farm, Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura (Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner), Jaipur, Rajasthan to work out the economics and cost benefit ratio of different management strategies by three spraying of eleven bio-rationale and newer pesticides against Yellow Mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks), thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, aphids (Aphis gossypii Glover, Myzus persicae Sulzer), Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and Beat army worm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) during summer 2014 and 2015 on capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.). The result on the basis of pooled data indicated that maximum net profit of Rs 77185/ha was obtained in the treatment of fipronil 0.005% with the yield of 51.46 q/ha followed by emamectin benzoate 0.002% (Rs 67422/ha) with the yield of 49.77 q/ha. The minimum net profit of Rs 23840/ha was recorded in the treatment of NSKE 5% followed by azadirachtin 0.0003% (Rs 29876). The net profit ranging from Rs 53613/ha to Rs 60263/ha was computed in the treatment of acephate (Rs 53613/ha), spiromesifen (Rs 59971/ha), spinosad (Rs 58262/ha) and indoxacarb (Rs 60263/ha), whereas, Rs 39125/ha to 41476/ha was found in propargite and novaluron. The maximum incremental cost benefit ratio (1:20.23) was found in fipronil (0.005%) followed by 1:17.99 in the treatment of acephate (0.075%). The minimum ICBR (1:4.64) was recorded in the treatments of novaluron followed by spinosad (1:5.96). Study revealed that three spray of fipronil 5 SC @ 1 ml/l or emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 0.4 g/l can be suggested to the farmers for the management of pest complex on capsicum under shade net house conditions during summer for off season production.

Impact of Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme on Grape Beneficiary Farmers

Agriculture in India is extremely vulnerable to incidence of extreme weather events which leads to agrarian distress. Farmers are sensitive to agricultural risks and, as a result require insurance. Climate variability and extreme weather events have become a great threat to agricultural production in India. The projected increase in droughts, floods, heat and cold waves, cyclones, extreme precipitation events will result in greater instability in food production. Grape fruit crop is extremely sensitive to climate change; year by year many farmers are indebted due to very meager yields. Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) is one such scheme which was recent crop insurance launch by Government of India to mitigate the hardship of the insured farmers against the likelihood of financial loss on account of crop loss resulting from adverse weather conditions. Grape fruit crop was taken into consideration to assess the impact of the ‘RWBCIS’ on beneficiaries. The study was conducted in the year 2021-2022 in Nasik district of Maharashtra state. The sample consists of total 150 farmers, 75 beneficiary farmers and 75 non-beneficiary farmers of RWBCIS. With the help of tools like Crop diversification, Cropping intensity and Incremental cost benefit ratio an attempt is made to find out the impact of the RBWCIS on beneficiary farmers in comparison to non-beneficiary farmers. The results showed that there is no significant difference in crop diversification and cropping intensity between the two groups. Also, there is no noticeable difference between the creditworthiness of beneficiary and non-beneficiary farmers of RWBCIS. Incremental Cost Benefit Ratio for beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries was more or less unity. There is no noticeable impact of RWBCIS on Grape beneficiary farmers.

SCALING UP OF SESAME PRODUCTION UNDER CLUSTER FRONTLINE DEMONSTRATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAMME IN PUNJAB, INDIA

The present investigations were undertaken to assess the effectiveness of demonstrated technology of sesame cultivation at farmers’ fields for their awareness with the objective of narrowing yield gaps in sesame crop in the rain fed areas of Punjab, India. A total of seventy-five Cluster Frontline Demonstrations (CFLDs) were conducted on improved farm technology of sesame, in which the full package of agronomic practices for its cultivation were used with special focus on improved cultivars and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which are major constraints in sesame production. The performance of the technology demonstrated under the CFLDs was compared with that of the traditional farmers’ practice. The yield enhancement, technological gap and extension yield gaps along with the economic analysis were studied for the three years during Kharif 2017-18 to Kharif 2019-2020. The average technology gap, extension yield gap and technology index of 1.43 quintal per hectare (q/ha), 1.54 q/ha and 20.4%, respectively, were recorded. The improved farm technology package demonstrated showed significant enhancement in the profitability of oilseeds in terms of gross returns and net returns besides additional returns (Rs. 9098–15215/- per ha) and incremental benefit-cost ratio (3.54–4.40). The demonstrated farm technology was found to have huge potential to enhance sesame productivity and profitability, thereby enabling farmers to earn better livelihood under normal and collateral farming situations. Keywords: Frontline demonstrations, Economics, Sesame, Extension gap, Productivity, Technology index

EVALUASI PEMANFAATAN PUPUK ORGANIK CAIR DENGAN STARTER ECO-FARMING PADA USHATANI SAWI DI DESA BUG-BUG KECAMATAN LINGSAR

Community service activities (PKM) are beneficial if partners implement the PKM work. Therefore, after the PKM activities have passed, it is necessary to evaluate the use of liquid organic fertilizer with an eco-farming starter (POC). This evaluation aims to determine the extent to which POC fertilizer is used in increasing production, production value, and performance of caisim mustard plants in farming in Bug-bug Village, Lingsar District. The evaluation technique applied in evaluating PKM implementation is the tiling technique. The tiles measure 100cm x 100cm consisting of 2 (two) tiles using POC and 2 (two) tiles without POC. The evaluation results show that the use of POC is still applied by 60% of the total number of PKM participants and can increase production and production value by 26.67%. An incremental benefit-cost ratio value of 12.47 is obtained, meaning that the use of POC can attract farmers' interest in implementing it because can increase production value.

Effect of Newer Insecticides against the Major Insect Pests of Groundnut

Efficacy of some newer insecticides were tested against the groundnut leaf miner Aproaerema modicella (Deventer), tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera litura (F), gram pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) and natural enemies (coccinellids) of groundnut. Tolfenpyrad @ 2.5ml/ l was significantly superior in controlling defoliator pests. The next best treatments were tolfenpyrad @ 2ml/ l, spinetoram @ 0.5ml/l, tolfenpyrad @ 1.5ml/ l, thiamethoxam+ lambdacyhalothrin @ 0.4ml/ l. The highest incremental cost benefit ratio (ICBR) was obtained in the treatments with tolfenpyrad @ 2.5ml/ l.

Eco-friendly management of mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi Kalt.

A field trial was conducted at Oilseed Farm, C S Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur. The trial was laid out in RBD with three replications using mustard cultivars Varuna. Seven insecticides viz. NSKE@5%, Neem leaf extract@ 5%, Neem oil 2%, Eucalyptus leaf extract 5%, Fennel leaf extract 5%, Dimethoate 30EC @ 1ml/liter and Thiamethoxam 25WG @ 0.2gm/liter with second spray of each treatment after 15 days of first spray were evaluated. Thiamethoxam 25WG @ 0.2gm/liter followed by its second spray after 15 days of first spray was most effective treatments against mustard aphid followed by Dimethoate 30EC @ 1ml/liter followed by its second spray after 15days of first spray. The highest seed yield (18.73 q/ha.) was obtained with Thiamethoxam 25WG @ 0.2gm/liter followed by its second spray after 15 days of first spray which was at par with NSKE@5%followed by its second spray after 15days of first spray (16.83 q/ha.). The incremental Benefit Cost Ratio (1:40:63) was also highest with Thiamethoxam 25WG @ 0.2gm/liter followed by its second spray after 15 days of first spray.

Financial viability of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) control programme (PPR-CP) implemented in Madhya Pradesh, India

Madhya Pradesh (MP) state in India had practiced focussed vaccination against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) from 2006-07 to 2015-16 and adopted PPR-Control Programme (PPR-CP) with 100% coverage during first year followed by 30% bi-annual vaccination for two years since 2016-17. This study evaluated the impact of PPR-CP using secondary data and cross-sectional survey data collected from 410 and 340 flocks before (during 2015-16, survey-I) and after PPR-CP implementation (during 2018-19, survey-II), respectively. Besides the incidence and disease cost, Incremental Benefit Cost Ratio (IBCR) was calculated to assess the financial viability of PPR- CP implementation in MP state under actual vaccination coverage after PPR-CP (scenario-I) and as per defined PPR-CP strategy (scenario-II). The number of PPR affected flocks declined significantly from 14.9% to 4.6% and the disease incidence declined from 27.5% to 10.2% in sheep and 18.8% to 0.64% in goats, in survey-I and II, respectively. The projected loss before and after PPR-CP was ` 3260 million (` 326 crore) and ` 476 million (` 47.6 crore), respectively. Financial viability of PPR-CP revealed an IBCR of 69.8:1 and 39.4:1 under scenario-I and II, respectively. Estimated incremental benefits outweighed the incremental cost in both vaccination scenarios, however, as per current vaccination plan (scenario-I), no fresh cases were reported for two years following PPR-CP, but reoccurred during 2019-20, as the state did not comply with PPR-CP Strategy. Therefore, selecting the right vaccination strategy and its diligent implementation may aid in eradicating PPR by 2030 in India in line with PPR global strategy.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma in China.

The combination of tislelizumab and gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) in the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M NPC) has yielded significant results. However, it is not clear whether this treatment option is cost-effective in China. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tislelizumab plus GP for the first-line treatment of R/M NPC from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. A partitioned survival model with three discrete health states was constructed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tislelizumab plus GP versus GP in patients with R/M NPC. The target population enrolled in the RATIONALE-309 trial had previously not treated for R/M NPC. Drug costs were obtained from relevant databases, and the remaining cost and health utility data were collected from the literature. The main outcomes include the expected life years, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), total cost, and incremental cost-benefit ratio (ICER). The tislelizumab plus GP regimen produced an additional cost ($18392.76) and additional 1.57 QALYs compared with GP used alone. The ICER was $18392.75/QALYs. Sensitivity analysis showed that the analysis was robust and the utility of PD status was most sensitive to the model results. The possibility of tislelizumab plus GP being cost-effective at the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $37 653/QALY was 99.8%. Subgroup analysis showed that high PD-L1 expression had little impact on the ICER of this regimen. In patients with R/M NPC, the regimen of tislelizumab plus GP, as the first-line treatment, is more cost-effective than the GP regimen in China.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF HEXACOPTER UAV (ANGRAU- PUSHPAK) SPRAYING FOR MANAGEMENT OF CHILLI THRIPS (Thrips parvispinus)

The study aimed at evaluating efficacy of UAV spraying in managing invasive thrips, Thrips parvispinus on chilli. The experiment was conducted at operational research project (ORP) site at Lam village of Guntur district during kharif 2022-23 with restricted randomized block design. The recommended doses of pesticides issued by Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee(CIB&RC), GoI, New Delhi were adapted. The treatments imposed were of 100%, 75% and 50% RDP with UAV and 100% RDP with human backpack sprayer and a control plot with only water spraying with drone for asserting the efficacy of drone spraying when sprayed at low volume spraying (25 L ha-1).The first spray to control thrips was carried out 112 DAS (Days After Sowing) with a spinetoram 11.7% SC on with analysis of pre and post spraying (5 days after spraying) results showed that the bio-efficacy when sprayed with 100% RDP (T1), 75% RDP(T2), 50% RDP (T3) with drone and 100% RDP with human back pack sprayer (T4) and control(T5)reduced number of thrips per flower from 7.57 to 5.8, 7.55 to 6.40, 7.55 to 10.22, 8.05 to 8.22, 8.05 to 12.95, respectively with a percent reduction over control of 50.75, 46.19, 23.65 and 36.57, respectively. The second spray was carried out at 119 DAS with Flubendiamide 19.92% +Thiacloprid 19.92% SC. The pre and post spraying (5 days after spraying) data analysis revealed that the reduction of thrips per flower over control in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 to 7.37, 8.32, 12.12, 10.25 and 16.03 and the percent reduction over control in T1, T2, T3 and T4 are 52.22%, 44.88%, 24.29% and 36.78%, respectively. The third spray with Fipronil 80% WG was carried out at 126 DAS and the pre and post spraying data analysis revealed that the number of thrips per flower are 5.27, 6.47, 10.55, 8.05 and 16.83 with a percent reduction over control of 68.83, 62.34, 22.08 and 38.96, respectively. The fourth spray was carried out at 133 DAS with spirotetramat 25.31% w/w OD and the pre and post spray data analysis revealed that the number of thrips per flower are of 5.12, 5.75, 9.5, 8.5 and 18.22 in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 and the percent reduction over control in T1, T2, T3 and T4 are 66.59, 61.68, 40.89 and 46.92, respectively. During the four sprays, it was observed that in all treatments, there was no phytotoxicity due to these chemicals spraying and the NDVI values recorded were 0.77, 0.76, 0.64, 0.72 and 0.34, respectively in the treatments T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5. The yields recorded were found to be 58.6, 55.2, 34.5, 53.8 and 14.1 q ha-1. The incremental cost-benefit ratio (ICBR) was found to be highest (4.46) in 75% RDP spray with drone, when compared to 3.58 in 100% RDP, 2.82 in 50% RDP and 2.98 in 100%RDP with human backpack sprayer respectively. The bio-efficacy of all the chemicals revealed that 100% RDP and 75% RDP sprayed with drone are on par with each other, which offers an opportunity to reduce the dosage by25% if sprayed with drone for the same bio-efficacy with highest ICBR.

Control efficacy and yield response of different fungicides evaluated against anthracnose of green gram

Green gram anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (Sacc. and Magn.) Briosi and Cavara is known to cause an estimated yield loss of 30–70 per cent under natural field condition. Considering the devastating nature of the disease an effort was undertaken to assess the fungicidal efficacy to manage the anthracnose disease under field conditions. Eight different fungicides were evaluated against anthracnose disease during the year 2019–2021. The results on the management of anthracnose disease were recorded at regular intervals and two foliar applications of ready-mix fungicide carbendazim 25% + mancozeb 50% WS (0.15%) applied at 15 days interval exhibited minimum mean per cent disease intensity of 33.91% (pooled mean). Disease reduction by use of non systemic fungicides was relatively low and propineb 70% WP treated plots recorded highest disease incidence of 45.84 per cent. Similarly, propineb 70% WP treated plots yielded lowest seed yield (870 kg/ha) in comparison to carbendazim 25% + mancozeb 50% WS (0.15%) treated plots which recorded 65.71 per cent increased in yield (1226 kg/ha) over control. The effect of anthracnose disease on yield of green gram was significant as untreated control produced only 740 kg/ha seed yield. The correlation coefficient (r) and coefficient of determination (R2) calculated for per cent disease intensity (PDI) and seed yield for the three consecutive years and pooled mean was r = −0.8251, −0.7926, −0.8395 and −0.8225 and R2 = 0.6807, 0.6283, 0.7047 and 0.6765, respectively which showed a strong negative correlation with a high goodness of fit. The linear regression equation obtained was y = −9.8887x + 1436.2 for pooled mean data of three years. Similarly, the plots treated with carbendazim 25% + mancozeb 50% WS had obtained the maximum incremental cost benefit ratio (ICBR) (1:5.22) and lowest ICBR was recorded by fungicide myclobutanil 10% WP (1:0.20).

Field efficacy of some newer chemical insecticides against stem borer, Nupserha sp. near vexator (Pascoe) in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of some newer chemical insecticides viz., thiodicarb75WSP, indoxacarb 14.5SC, spinosad 45SC, profenophos 50EC, dichlorovos 76EC and chlorpyrifos 20EC againststem borer Nupserha sp. near vexator in sunflower at Oilseeds Research Station, Latur, Maharashtra. Resultsrevealed that all the treatments were significantly superior in reducing the population of stem borer over untreated control. Among the insecticides, indoxacarb @ 1ml/l was most effective and was found on par with spinosad @ 0.3ml/l, profenophos @ 2ml/l and thiodicarb @ 2gm/l. Highest seed yield was recorded with spinosad (1416 kg/ha) and found on par with indoxacarb (1401 kg/ha) whereas the lowest yield was observed in untreated control (1010 kg/ha). The maximum incremental benefit cost ratio was obtained with application of chlorpyrifos (4.96) followed by indoxacarb (4.27), profenofos (3.43), and spinosad (3.09).

Effect of Transplanting Dates on the Paddy (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivar CR Dhan 307 (Maudamani) in Terai Zone of West Bengal, India

Aims: Paddy cultivar, CR Dhan 307 (Maudamani) can enhance paddy productivity due to its heavy panicles and high-density planting adaptability. Date of transplanting is one of the important non-monetary inputs which greatly influence the growth and yield of paddy. The appropriate date of transplanting ensures optimum vegetative growth during the period of satisfactory temperature and solar radiation level. In India, maximum rice farmers are unable to transplant their crop timely, which reduces rice yield significantly and increases total cost of cultivation. This research aimed to study the effect of different dates of paddy transplanting on the performance of CR Dhan 307 (Maudamani) and to find out the optimum date of transplanting in terai zone of West Bengal.
 Study Design: Randomized block design with 4 replications.
 Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted in rabi season, 2017-18 at the instructional farm of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Coochbehar, West Bengal.
 Methodology: Five treatments namely transplanting on 2nd January, on 14th January, on 26th January, on 8th February and on 20th February allocated randomly in each replication.
 Results: Paddy transplanted on 26th January provided the maximum increment in almost all the growth attributes on all the dates such as no. of tillers m-2 at 90 DAT (252.77), dry matter accumulation at 90 DAT (1595.20 g m-2) etc. and yield attributes such as no. of panicles m-2 (210.64), no. of grains panicle-1 (280.46), no. of filled grains panicle-1 (233.34) etc. vis-à-vis grain productivity (7.59 t ha-1) and harvest index (44.20%). Highest gross return (Rs. 132825.00 ha-1), net return (Rs. 83336.00 ha-1) and benefit-cost ratio (2.68:1) as well as the incremental benefit-cost ratio (1.68:1) were obtained from the same treatment.
 Conclusion: Paddy transplanting on 26th January can be recommended for the cultivar, CR Dhan 307 (Maudamani) for achieving highest productivity and profitability.

Grain yield and incremental cost benefit ratio (ICBR) biorational insecticides against Helicoverpa armigera in chickpea

Grain yield and incremental cost benefit ratio (ICBR) biorational insecticides against Helicoverpa armigera in chickpea