S. A. LANDGE*, S. V. DAMAME AND L. N. TAGAD
AICRP on Forage Crops and Utilization,
Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri-413 722 (Maharashtra), India
*(email: landge_sandip@rediffmail.com)
(Received : 19 August 2023; Accepted : 21 September 2023)
SUMMARY
The present experiment on efficacy of microbial and botanical pesticides against aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) was conducted during Rabi season of 2016-17 to 2019-20 on oat crop at the field of All India Coordinated Research Project on Forage Crops & Utilization at MPKV, Rahuri Dist- Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Winter fodder scarcity is one of the major problems in feeding management for ruminants in India. Oat (Avena sativa L.) belong to gramineae family is one of the important cosmopolitan forage crop in the world agriculture ecosystem due to its quick growing habit, multi-cut ability and high protein content. Oat crop are heavily attacked by aphids. This aphids are found causing damage by pierce and suck sap from leaves, stems and hence responsible for the quality and yield losses. The present investigation was carried out with an object to “study the efficacy of biopesticides and botanical insecticides against oat aphid (R. padi)” to find out highly effective biopesticides for the management of oat aphid and to avoid the residues due the chemical insecticides. In the study oat variety Kent was sown at 25 cm spacing as line sowing in 3 × 4 m plot size with randomized block design with three replications and each replication has five rows. Studies revealed that among the treatment of biopesticide, at 7 days after treatment, L. lecanii @ 7.5 g/lit recorded significantly lower number of survived aphids per tiller 8.77 followed by M. anisopilae @ 7.5 g/lit (10.49), L. lecanii 5g/lit (10.54), and M. anisopilae @ 5 g/lit.(13.75). Similarly the higher Green Forage Yield recorded in L. lecanii 1.5 % @ 7.5 g/lit. (502.07 q/ha) followed by M. anisopliae @ 7.5 g/lit (497.37 q/ha), L. lecanii @ 5g/lit (496.75 q/ha) and M. anisopliae @ 5 g.lit ( 495.03 q/ha). Among the treatments there were found non significant differences of coccinellid predators. Biopesticides did not affect the activities of coccinellid predators at 5 and 7 days after spray.
Key words: Oat, aphid, biopesticides, management