Vol. 11, Issue 12 (2022)

Author(s):
Swetha BS, FS Khan and Tupe AP

Abstract:
Maize is a major field crop used as staple food and as fodder, but its nutrition quality and production is threatened by the major insect pest like Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. An experimental study “Ecofriendly management of Spodoptera frugiperda in Maize” was carried out at the Department of Agricultural Entomology, VNMKV, Parbhani during Rabi 2021-22. Efficacy of biopesticides were studied using split plot design with three main treatments- seed treatment with cyantraniliprole+ thiamethoxam @ 6ml/kg of seeds, granular application with carbofuran 3G @ 33kg/ha and without treatment and five sub treatments- azadirachtin 3000 ppm, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana + Metarhizium anisopliae and untreated against larval population Fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda. The results of fall armyworm larval population (No. of larvae/10 plants) at the end of three sprays showed that the main treatment, granular application with carbofuran (2.03) recorded the minimum larval population of S. frugiperda and main treatment, without treatment (3.23) recorded the maximum larval population. In sub treatments, Metarhizium anisopliae (1.51) showed the best result with the minimum larval population, which was at par with Beauveria bassiana (1.64) and maximum larval population was recorded in untreated (5.98). Application of biopesticides prevent the residual toxicity effects caused by chemical pesticides when it is consumed as fodder and it is considered as ecofriendly.