Comparative Efficacy and Economics of Biopesticides and Imidacloprid against Mustard Aphid [Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.)] (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Abstract

The present research study was carried out applying the Randomised Block Design (RBD) approach in three replications during the rabi season of 2022–2023 at the Central Research farm, NAI, SHUATS, Prayagraj. Results revealed that, among all the treatments combination insecticide Metarhizium anisopliae (T7) recorded lowest reduction percent of aphid (47.94%), followed by Nisco MECH 333(T6) (53.00%), Nisco MECH 333 + Neem oil 5% (T1) (54.63%), Neem oil 5% (T4) (55.33%), Spinosad 240 EC (T3) (63.94%) and Spinosad 240 EC+ Neem oil 5%(T2) (69.37%). Imidacloprid 17.8 SL (T5) (74.77%) was the most successful of all the treatments, and the first spray is also significantly more successful than the other treatments. While the Imidacloprid 17.8% SL treatment produced a superior yield (18.15 q/ha). With imidacloprid 17.8 SL(T5) (1:6.43), the best economics cost-benefit ratio was attained followed by Spinosad 240 EC+ Neem oil 5%(T2) (1:5.96), Spinosad 240 EC(T3) (1:5.64), Neem oil 5% (T4) (1:5.06), Nisco MECH 333 + Neem oil 5% (T1) (1:4.87), Metarhizium anisopliae (T7) (1:4.65), Nisco MECH 333(T6) (1:4.21), The control (1:3.25) yielded the lowest financial return.