Background: Being an important cash crop and major food item
of the Indian diet, the potato is extensively cultivated in both plains and
hills of the Northeastern region of India. Insect pests reduce both the yield
and quality of potato crops worldwide. The persistent use of synthetic
insecticides against the soil-dwelling insect pests in potato may initially
give some control against these pests, but in the long term, it will pose a
threat to the ecosystem, causing the resurgence of other pest species. Moreover,
indiscriminate use of insecticides and their residues in the soil and plant
system are causing hazardous effects on the Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon
(SMBC), soil physico-chemical properties, soil enzymatic activities, beneficial
insect fauna, human and animal health, as well as the environment. Furthermore,
considering the present pest management scenario, there is an urgent need to
embrace organic pest management strategies instead of chemocentric approaches.
Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness
of some naturally available insecticidal materials against major soil insect
pests of potato under laboratory conditions.
Materials and Methods: In this study, 14 locally available
eco-friendly insecticidal materials were collected and categorised into four
groups—physical poisons, biopesticides/bio-enhancers, botanicals, and
minerals—based on their properties. Individual screening of these 14
insecticidal materials was carried out under laboratory conditions against the
test insects, i.e. cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), white grub (Lepidiota mansueta)
and red ant (Dorylus orientalis). Based on the performance of 14 individual
insecticidal materials, 11 insecticidal materials were selected, and 3
materials (cow dung powder, lime powder and rock phosphate) were discarded.
From 11 insecticidal materials, 15 mixtures (Mixture I-XV) were prepared by
following the "Trial and Error" method. Data were analysed by using
SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software.
Results: This study confirmed the superiority of five
insecticidal mixtures (II, IV, VIII, XI & XIII) against three major soil
insect pests of potato under laboratory conditions. The highest mortality
(100%) of A. ipsilon larvae was recorded in Mixture-II, Mixture-IV, Mixture-VIII,
Mixture-XI and Mixture-XIII and found to be significantly superior over the
rest of the mixtures after 144 hrs of exposure (P=.05, CD=4.44). Likewise,
significant mortality of D. orientalis was recorded in Mixture-II, Mixture-IV,
Mixture-VIII, Mixture-XI and Mixture-XIII over the other mixtures (I, V, VI,
VII, X, XIV & XV) after 48 hrs of exposure (P=.05, CD=17.42).
Conclusion: This research relates to the development of
organic insecticidal mixtures by using naturally available, eco-friendly insecticidal
materials with an aim to address the soil-dwelling insect pest problems in
potato grown organically. However, these organic insecticidal mixtures will act
as ‘bioenhancers’, favouring the multiplication of beneficial soil microbes and
other microarthropods besides improving the physico-chemical properties of soil
and might be used to replace the commonly used synthetic insecticides.
Exploration of these findings has enough scope for researchers to study the
efficacy of these mixtures at field conditions against soil-dwelling insect
pests with an aim to replace the commonly used synthetic insecticides. Farmers
can reduce their reliance on synthetic pesticides and implement a more
resilient and sustainable Integrated Pest Management strategy by combining
these mixtures with biological, cultural and mechanical control techniques.
Author(s) Details
Saurabh Sarma
ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra Hailakandi, Hailakandi, Assam, Pin: 788152,
India.
Badal Bhattacharyya
Department of Entomology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam,
Pin: 785013, India.
Bhabesh Gogoi
Advanced Centre for Integrated Farming Systems Research, (AICRP on IFS
under ICAR-IIFSR, Modipuram, UP), Assam Agricultural University (AAU),
Jorhat-785013, Assam, India.
Kabita C Sarma
ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra Hailakandi, Hailakandi, Assam, Pin: 788152,
India.
Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/asti/v5/6409
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