Pattern of Insecticide Use on Brinjal by Farmers in Punjab

Brinjal shoot and fruit borer is rated as one of the most noxious and destructive pests of brinjal. Overuse of insecticides to knock down this destructive pest has led to many problems like build up of insecticide resistance, resurgence, replacement of natural enemies and insecticide residue in brinjal fruits. The farmers are not following the recommended practices regarding the use of insecticides. Therefore, a survey was conducted to determine the insecticide spray pattern adopted by vegetable growers for its management during 2009 and 2010 in the districts Amritsar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala and Sangrur of Punjab state. Insecticides recommended by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana viz. cypermethrin, deltamethrin, quinalphos, carbaryl, triazophos and fenvalerate were used by the farmers for 7.12, 6.43, 3.56, 2.41, 2.18 and 2.07 per cent sprays, respectively. Other 17 insecticides singly and seven as mixtures were being used extensively by the vegetable growers of the state. On an average, 8.71 sprays were done by each brinjal grower. Out of these, 23.77 per cent sprays were done with recommended insecticides, 58.21 per cent with unrecommended insecticides, while 18.03 with unrecommended mixtures. Chlorantraniliprole, spinosad, flubendiamide, indoxacarb, novaluron and pyridalyl, being unrecommended were used for 9.99, 8.73, 3.90, 5.17, 2.87 and 2.07 sprays, respectively. Cypermethrin and endosulfan was the most frequently used mixture followed by deltamethrin and endosulfan mixture. The present study indicates that the majority of brinjal growers are not using the insecticides as per the recommendations.