TOXICITY OF FOLIAR INSECTICIDES TO SYRPHIDFLY PREDATOR OF GREEN PEACH APHID, MYZUS PERSICAE (SULZER) ON POTATO VARIETIES

Field experiments were conducted in Research Farm of Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan during 2007-09 to develop IPM package for green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) on potato crop having minimum adverse effects on syrphidfly ‘syrphidae’. The population means of syrphidfly per 10 plants showed significant effect (P < 0.05) for potato varieties (2.1 on Desiree and 4.0 on Kuroda), foliar insecticides (2.7 on Actara and 3.4 on Provado), and foliar insecticides doses (5.9 on zero dose, 1.2 on labeled dose, 2.1 on reduced dose). Both the varieties interacted significantly at various doses. Syrphidfly population was significantly higher on zero doses/control (7.27 on Kuroda; 4.50 on Desiree) as compared to treated plants. Among treated plants, the syrphidfly population on Kuroda reduced doses (2.93) was significantly highest. Kuroda plants treated with labeled doses of insecticides had significantly higher population (1.73) as compared to Desiree plants treated with reduced doses (1.27) or labeled doses (0.67). On average, the yield in tons/hec was significantly higher from Kuroda (13.2) as compared to Desiree (11.6); Provado treated plants (12.9) as compared to Actara (12.0); and labeled (13.4) or reduced (13.4) doses as compared zero doses (10.5). The tuber yield obtained from the plants treated with Provado reduced doses (14.07) and Provado labeled doses (13.95), both being statistically equal, was significantly higher than Actara reduced doses (12.81) and Actara labeled doses (12.79).