Beauveria bassiana as an effective IPM component against cotton stem weevil Pempherulus affinis Faust

Abstract

The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in reduction of cotton stem weevil in ecofriendly manner is attaining importance in recent days. In present study, three treatments including IPM module 1, IPM module 2 and farmers’ practice were imposed against cotton stem weevil in a field trial. Among the three treatments, IPM module 2 which included basal application of FYM 25 t/ha and 250 kg/ha of neem cake, seed treatment with Beauveria bassania @10g/kg of seed, border crop with Hibiscus cannabinus, soil drenching with Imidacloprid 17.80 SL @ 25 g a.i./ha (125 ml/ha) at 15 DAS and placement of cotton stem bits (25 kg/500box/ha) + Hibiscus cannabinus stem bits (25 kg/500box/ha) + Chlorpyriphos dust 1.5 DP (2.5 kg/500box/ha) @ 30 DAS followed by earthing up @ 30 DAS recorded least stem weevil infestation of 13.21% with a yield of 1642.75 kg/ha. It was followed by IPM module 1 (21.78%) and farmers’ practice (33.56%) with yield of 1456.25 kg/ha and 1588.25 kg/ha, respectively. The mean survival of plants was also higher in IPM module 2 (94.28%) followed by farmers’ practice (88.57%) and IPM module 1 (80.00%).