Bio-efficacy of eco-friendly pesticides on the management of Plutella xylostella Linn. on cabbage

A field trial was conducted to find out the bio-efficacy of eco-friendly pesticides (Bacillus thuringiensis 5% WP @ 0.2% a.i., B. bassiana @ 0.5% a.i., B. bassiana @ 1.0% a.i., Azadirachtin -10000 ppm. @ 0.002% a.i., NSKE @ 5.0% a.i., Diflubenzuron + deltamethrin 22% SC @ 0.022% a.i., Spinosad 45% SC @ 0.01% a.i., Mittimax (extract of onion, garlic, ginger and cow urine) @ 0.15% a.i.,) against Plutella xylostella Linn. population vis-a-vis their effect on the natural enemy, Cotesia plutellae. Amongst the different treatments, Diflubenzuron + deltamethrin 22% SC @ 0.022% a.i. recorded the highest (60.68%) DBM population reduction followed by B. bassiana @ 0.5% a.i. and B. bassiana @ 1.0% a.i. with population reduction of 57.37% and 56.75%, respectively. On C. plutellae, Diflubenzuron + deltamethrin 22% SC @ 0.022% a.i. recorded the lowest (2.84%) population reduction followed by B. bassiana @ 1.0% a.i. and B. bassiana @ 0.5% a.i. with population reduction of 3.34% and 3.87%, respectively. The percent increase of yield over control ranged from 11.41% to 50.13% in pesticide treatments with the highest yield (49.23t/ha) in spinosad 45%SC as against 32.79 t/ha in untreated control. The results indicated that Diflubenzuron + deltamethrin 22% SC @ 0.022% a.i and B. bassiana@1.0% were effective against DBM and safe to Cotesia plutellae in cabbage.