Effect of Abamectin Sprays on Cotesia plutellae (Kurdjumov) Population in Cabbage Fields

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Authors

  • Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003, Tamil Nadu ,IN
  • Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003, Tamil Nadu ,IN
  • Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003, Tamil Nadu ,IN

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18311/jbc/2008/3807

Keywords:

Abamectin, Cabbage, Cotesia plutellae, Insecticides, Parasitoid Cocoons.

Abstract

Plutella xylostella (L.), an economic pest of cabbage, is controlled by use of newer chemicals like abamectin. Hence, safety of abamectin to the indigenous parasitoid Cotesia plutellae (Kurdjumov) was studied. Two field experiments conducted revealed that abamectin was relatively safer in comparison to the standard checks used. The lowest dose of abamectin (9 g a.i ha−1) recorded 18.7 cocoons per ten plants and the higher dose (15 g a.i ha−1) recorded 15 cocoons per ten plants while the control registered 23 cocoons per ten plants, a week after second spray in the first field experiment. A week after four sprays in the second field, abamectin at 9 g a.i ha−1 registered 20.3 cocoons per ten plants, which was on par with abamectin at 11 g a.i ha−1 (19.3 cocoons per ten plants), followed by abamectin at 13 g a.i ha−1(18 cocoons per ten plants), while the control recorded 24.7 cocoons per ten plants, Spinosad at 75 g a.i ha−1 recorded 12.7 cocoons per ten plants which is better than endosulfan at 420 g a.i ha−1 (10 cocoons per ten plants) and cypermethrin at 70 g a.i ha−1(9.3 cocoons per ten plants). Abamectin is relatively safer to C. plutellae in comparison to the other insecticides tested.