Suppression of termite attack in tea ecosystem with biopesticides

A field study was conducted during 2016–17 to evaluate the effectiveness of some biopesticides against Odontotermes obesus (Rambur) in tea ecosystem. The study revealed that the plants treated with Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff and Sorokin) showed the least number and infestation (stem) (13.86% and 12.04% and 14.11% and 12.04%) which was significantly superior over other treatments but statistically at par with Heterorhabditis indica (Poinar, Karunakar and David) treated plant (14.49% and 13.73% and 15.60% and 14.26%) after 30 and 60 days of treatment. The plants treated with AAU jatropha oil 50 EC exhibited infestation of 15.52% and 16.56% on number basis and 14.60% and 15.36% on portion basis, while neem oil treated plant recorded 16.01% and 17.09% of number and 15.17% and 16.44% of portion of infestation after 30 and 60 days of treatment, respectively. The untreated control plots recorded 38.44% and 37.35% and 40.32% and 39.48% of infestation on number and portion (stem) basis after 30 and 60 days of treatment, respectively.