Department of Entomology, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur-848 125, Bihar (India).
*Present address: Head, Division of Entomology, Indian Agriculiural Research institute, New Delhi-110 012 (India).
The effect of different quantities of ascorbic acid varying from 0.1–0.5 and 0.1–0.6 per cent in artificial diet based on green gram, Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek and dew gram, Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marichat, was evaluated respectively against Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) larvae and moths, when exposed separately to two concentrations (0.05 and 0.10 per cent) of endosulfan emulsion. Irrespective of concentrations of endosulfan, the susceptibility of larvae obtained from diet formulated with progressively higher concentrations of ascorbic acid resulted in decreased mortality. Regardless of the quantity of ascorbic acid, the larvae reared on artificial diet were significantly more susceptibile to 0.1 per cent endosuifan as compared to 0.05 per cent concentration. Likewise, the moths obtained from diets containing progressively higher concentrations of ascorbic acid showed decreasing mortality, regardless of the concentrations of endosulfan to which these were exposed.
