Management Strategies for Castor Semilooper, Achaea Janata Linn. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Castor

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) modules involving bio control agents and chemical insecticides were developed and evaluated against early, late and mixed populations of Achaea janata Linn, under field conditions. Impact of IPM constituents on the activity of larval parasitoid, Microplitis maculipennis Szepligate was also studied. IPM modules were compared with recommended insecticide, methyl parathion (0.05%). IPM package, involving release of Trichogramma chilonis Ishii @ 2 lakh/ha at 30 days after sowing (DAS) followed by fenvalerate (0.01%) spray at 45 DAS and second release of T.chilonis @ 3 lakh/ha at 65 DAS offered good protection to castor from A.janata and proved to be cost effective with highest C:B ratio (1:4.99) followed by T. chilonis @ 2 lakh/ha at 30 DAS followed by Profenofos (0.025%) at 45 DAS and second release of T. chilonis @ 3 lakh/ha at 65 DAS with C:B ratio of 1:1.29. Similarly another two IPM packages involving mixture of profenofos + cypermethrin (0.04%) with two releases of T. chilonis (30 DAS and 65 DAS) and Acephate (0.075%) with two releases of T. chilonis (30 DAS and 65 DAS) proved as effective as methyl parathion. M. maculipennis activity was higher in plots imposed with IPM packages compared to methyl parathion where parasitoid activity was completely seized.