Eco-friendly management of Scirpophaga incertulas (Walk.) and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guen.) in Basmati rice

Field investigation was carried out on effect of synthetic insecticides, bio-pesticides/bio-agents, botanicals and their combinations, cartap hydrochloride 4 G @ 0.75 kg a.i./ha, Beauveria bassiana @ 2.5 kg/ha, bacillus thuringiensis @ 1.5 kg/ha, imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 0.05%, Trichogramma japonicum @ 1,00,000 eggs/ha, neem gold @ 5 ml/l and neem gold @ 3 ml/l + T. japonicum @ 75,000 eggs/ha on yellow stem borer (YSB), Scirpophaga incertulas, rice leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and its predators namely spiders during kharif 2005. The synthetic insecticides, e.g. cartap hydrochloride 4 G and imidacloprid 17.8 SL resulted in minimum incidence of yellow stem borer and leaf folder but the adversely affected to the spider's fauna. Bio-pesticides e.g. B. thuringiensis and B. bassiana gave next most effective control against both the pests. However, bio-pesticides were found significantly superior over synthetic insecticides in conserving the spider population. Release of Trichogramma japonicum with botanicals proved effective against both pests and also conserved spider population. The maximum cost: benefit ratio of 1: 10.13 with imidacloprid 17.8 SL and minimum of 1:1.90 with B. thuringiensis were recorded.