IPM modules against litchi fruit and shoot borer, Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley using safer and newer insecticides

Abstract

A field trial was conducted at ICAR-National Research Centre on Litchi, Mushahari, Muzaffarpur, Bihar to develop optimal combination of IPM modules for managing the litchi fruit and shoot borer (Conopomorpha sinensis, Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) a major pest of litchi. At harvest stage, most of the treatments showed more than 85% efficacy on reduction in borer infestation over control. The highest reduction in borer infestation was found in flubendiamide (19.92%) + thiacloprid 19.92% 480 SC(94.56%) followed by lambda cyhalothrin 5 EC(90.09%). The least infested fruit (1.50 kg/tree) and highest healthy fruit (24.99 kg/tree) was recorded with flubendiamide 19.92% + thiacloprid 19.92% 480 SC followed by spirotetramat 11.01%+ imidacloprid 11.01% 240 SC (23.44 kg/tree), lambda cyhalothrin 5 EC (18.34 kg/tree) and chlorantranilprole 18.5 SC (16.67 kg/tree) against lowest (1.67 kg/tree) in control. Additionally, minimum yield loss (5.66%) was recorded with flubendiamide 19.92% + thiacloprid 19.92% 480 SC followed by spirotetramat 11.01%+ imidacloprid 11.01% 240 SC (10.23%), lambda cyhalothrin 5 EC (14.09%) and chlorantranilprole 18.5 SC (16.67%) against maximum (90.46%) in control. Similarly, reduction in fruit infestation over control calculated on weight basis was also highest in flubendiamide 19.92% + thiacloprid 19.92% 480 SC (90.53%) followed by spirotetramat 11.01% + imidacloprid 11.01% 240 SC (83.14%), lambda cyhalothrin 5 EC (81.00%) and chlorantranilprole 18.5 SC (79.73%). Neonicotinoid based combination products containing flubendiamide, spirotetramat and/or beta-cyfluthrin are recommended to manage the litchi shoot and fruit borer management in an effective way to achieve the maximum yield.