Management of onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) through botanicals and bio-pesticides

A field experiment was conducted at Regional Research Station, NHRDF, Karnal in two consecutive years during Rabi, 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons on onion variety Agrifound Light Red for the management of onion thrips by using some botanicals and bi o-pesticides. The botanicals and bio-pesticides evaluated were neem crude oil @ 4%, dasparni @ 50ml/lit, Beauveria bassiana @1013 spores/ha, spinosad @56g a.i./ha, profenofos @ 1.0ml/lit (check) and unsprayed plot served as control. Pooled data of two years revealed that significantly lowest thrips populations were recorded in check treatment i.e profenofos @ 1.0ml/lit followed by spinosad @ 56 g a.i./ha at 4th day after each spray. Significantly highest gross yield (282 q/ha) was ecorded in profenofos @ 1ml/lit followed by spinosad (262 q/ha).The highest cost : benefit ratio (1:15.79) was also recorded in profenofos followed by Beauveria bassiana @1013 spores/ha i.e.1:5.86. Further the study revealed that five sprays of profenofos @ 1.0ml/lit at 10 days interval was found better for the management of onion thrips as well as increasing the yield and botanicals and bio-pesticides alone were less effective on thrips management in onion.