Management of Aphid Pests by Using Organic Inputs in Organically Grown Crops

Organic agriculture means keeping aside the use of synthetic pesticides and seeking the safe, effective and economical organic alternatives for plant protection. Lipaphis erysimi Kalt. cause over 90% losses in mustard, almost complete loss of capsicum due to green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer and mild infestation of Aphis craccivora Koch and Aphis gossypi Clover in okra + cowpea, respectively has been recorded under organic conditions. Keeping in view, a study was carried out during the years 2011 and 2012 in Organic Farm of Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur to evaluate the efficacy of organic inputs against aphids. Field aphid population were counted a day before and after 7 days of spray from 5 cm apical twig of each crop while in laboratory dead insect counts on treated leaf discs were taken. For mustard aphid 10% aqueous leaf extract of Polygonum hydropiper followed by panchgavya 10%; dashparni 5% and P. hydropiper 10% against M. persicae in capsicum and.a module containing soil treatment with panchgavya 10% followed by sprays at 10 day interval, respectively of neem oil, panchgavya and Lantana camara against cowpea and okra aphid were found significantly effective aphidicides.