*Email: ddeyiari@hotmail.com (corresponding author)
Organic farming, cultivation without pesticides and fertilizers promotes plant and animal diversity including insects. The present study conducted at the research farm of the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi evaluates the impact of organic and conventional IPM practices against rice yellow stem borer (YSB) Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker) (Crambidae: Lepidoptera). Infestation at different stages of the crop and the efficiency of its egg parasitoids were assessed. Results indicated that infestation was more in conventional (0.59%) than the organic practice (0.47%). Three egg parasitoids observed include: Telenomus dignus Gahan, Tetrastichus schoenobii Ferriere, and Trichogramma japonicum Ashmead in both the practices, and all these are new records for the Delhi/NCR region. Maximum parasitization was observed with T. dignus (6.59%) followed by T. japonicum (0.58%) and T. schoenobii (0.42%), and it was during October. Egg parasitization was more in the organic practice (3.27±3.08) compared to the conventional one (1.18±0.99). The results reveal that T. dignus is the most dominant among the parasitoids observed.
Rice, organic practices, yellow stem borer, egg parasitoids, Delhi, new records, parasitization, Telenomus dignus, dominance
