Biocontrol efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes on spodoptera litura (lepidoptera: noctuidae) in blackgram

Biocontrol efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes viz., Heterorhabditis indica and Steinernema glaseri was tested on Spodoptera litura under glasshouse and microplot conditions on blackgram (Vigna mungo). The nematodes were found effective at all the doses tested viz., 1.25 x 10⁹, 2.5 x 10⁹ and 5 x 10⁹ infective juveniles (IJ)/ha. Insect mortality increased with increasing dosage levels and exposure time. Maximum mortality was observed with H. indica at 5 x 10⁹ IJ/ha after 72 h of treatment under glasshouse (75.6%) and microplot (50.6%) conditions. The pod damage was also found minimum with H. indica at 5 x 10⁹ IJ/ha both under glasshouse (27%) and microplot (34.33%) conditions. H. indica was found more effective than S. glaseri in the management of S. litura.