Centre for Plant Protection Shldies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641 003, Tamil Nadu.
Two field experiments were conducted during kharif l988 andsummer 1989 seasons to study the effect of different neem products with ultra low volume (ULV), high volume (HV) and low volume (LV) sprayers in comparison with monocrotophos and an untreated check. The first round of spraying was given when the leaffolder and grasshopper incidence crossed the economic threshold level on 47 and 34 days after transplanting (DAT) respectively. Observations on the pest population were recor-ded in 20 bills at random per plot on7,14, 27 DAT in tne first experiment and on 10 hills 3, 7, 10 and 14 DAT in the second experiment. Observations were also made on the spider, Lycosa pseudoannulata Boesenberg and Straud and the mirid, Cyrtorhinus lividipennis Reuter on 20 hills in each plot.
The results of the experiments indicated that neem products whert applied both as HV and LV were quite effective than ULV application on 14 and 21 days after spraying with reference to reducing the damage by leaf folder and grasshopper and brown planthopper. Thougn there was initial reduction in the population of spiders and miricts in the neem treated plots, there was better recolonization of predators, while the population of predators remained at low level in monocrotophos treated plots. Neem products with the antioxidants sprayed in the evening hours gave significant reduction in the damage by leaffolder and grasshopper.
