Vol. 12, Special Issue 8 (2023)

Castor is a non-edible oilseed crop of major industrial significance in India. The crop is attacked by a number of insect pests which impose a great limitation in realizing the potential productivity. Among the insect pests infesting castor, Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is the most notorious pest. Although synthetic chemical insecticides remain indispensable to avert the crop losses due to the insect pest, the over reliance on chemical insecticides is being viewed with concern due to the increasing problem of detrimental effect on non-target organisms and environmental pollution. Hence in recent years considerable efforts are being made worldwide to find eco-friendly pest management options substitutes for these synthetic insecticides. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis microcapsules against the polyphagous pest, viz., tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera litura) in castor. A caged pot culture experiment on castor revealed that Bacillus thuringiensis microcapsules, viz., CC-1+Btk (Chitosan + lignosulphonate + manganous sulphate + Btk) and CC-2+Btk (Chitosan + lignosulphonate + carboxymethylcellulose + manganous sulphate + Btk) were found effective and recorded higher percent larval mortality (81.00 to 81.20%) of S. litura as compared to Bt-technical @ 1 g/l (70.00% larval mortality), while no mortality was observed in the untreated control. The present study will be useful for the eco-friendly management of S. litura infesting agricultural and horticultural crops.