COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BIO-PESTICIDE & CHEMICALS AGAINST OKRA

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), an economically important vegetable crop in India, is severely affected by the shoot and fruit borer (Earias vittella Fab.), a major lepidopteran pest. The pest infests the tender shoots and developing fruits, leading to considerable yield losses. In recent years, emphasis has shifted towards sustainable pest management through the integration of bio-pesticides alongside synthetic insecticides to reduce environmental risks and pesticide residues. This study was conducted under field conditions at Prayagraj to compare the efficacy of selected bio-pesticides and chemical insecticides in managing Earias vittella on okra. Where eight treatments were replicated thrice in Randomized Block Design against Earias vittella i.e., T1 Karanj oil 2% EC @ 2ml/lit, T2 Garlic bulb extract 3%@ 30ml/lit, T3 Flubendiamide 90 SC + Deltamethrin 60 SC @ 5ml/lit, T4 Imidacloprid 17.8% SL @ 2.0ml/lit, T5 Spinosad 45%SC @ 0.5ml/lit, T6 Verticillium lecani (1x108 CFU/g) @ 300 kg/ha and T7 Metarhizium anisopliae4% WSP (1 × 108 CFU/g) @ 2.5kg/ha and T8 over the control plot their influences on yield of okra. Each insecticide was sprayed twice at 14 days interval.