Bio-efficacy of Botanicals against Banana pseudostem borer, Odoiporus longicollis

Multiple choice and no choice tests were conducted under laboraroty conditions to test efficacy of different botanicals for their feeding deterrent/repellent properties against pseudostem borer of banana. All the treatments were more or less effective in exhibiting the repellency/feeding deterrence effects. Among the various botanicals, neem oil (0.5%) and pongamia oil (0.5%) showed strong repellent effect on the borers evidence by the number of insects alighted on the treated pseudostem pieces as also the percentage of feeding area after certain periods of exposure. However, these effects were much earlier in no choice test as compared to the multiple choice tests. The maximum toxicity was observed in pongamia (0.5%) oil followed by neem oil (0.5%) was evidence by the mortality of the insects in these treatments in no choice test.