Comparative Efficacy and Economic Feasibility of Certain Bio Rational Insecticides and Endosulfan against Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Eggplant

Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee, or BSFB is a serious pest of eggplant (Solanum melongena L. ). Due to increasing levels of resistance of L. orbonalis to different insecticides there is an urgent need to test new botanical insecticides so to have a sustainable environment. A field trial was conducted at Vegetable Research Farm, Collage of Agriculture, Central Agriculture University, Imphal for two consecutive years of 2008-09 and 2009-10. To investigate the comparative efficacy of three botanicals, two bio-pesticides and one conventional insecticide against the shoot and fruit borer L. orbonalis Guenee in brinjal crop. The result revealed that Endosulfan 35 EC @ 1000 ml/ha proved to be the most effective treatment against the pests and it was at par with Vijayaneem (Azadirachtin1500 ppm) @ 1000 ml/ha. The mean fruit yield ranged between 23.87 and 19.23 t/ha in the insecticide treatments the highest being in Endosulfan, followed by Vijayaneem (21.66 t/ha), Neembecidine (Azadirachtin 300 ppm) @ 1000 ml/ha (20.52 t/ha) and Neemagold (Azadirachtin 1000 ppm) @1000 ml/ha (20.18 t/ha) which do not differ significantly from each other. The lowest mean fruit yield of 17.40 t/ha was obtained from the plot of untreated control plots. The cost benefit ratio varied from 1: 5: 14 to 1: 12: 20 in different insecticidal treatments, the highest being accrued from Endosulfan with a record of maximum monetary benefit of Rs.31, 87, 00/ha, closely followed by Vijayaneem (1: 12: 20) with its net profit of Rs.28, 052, 00/ha.