Department of Entomology, Dr. Panjabroo Deshmukh Agricultural University, Akola-444 104, M.S., (India).
*Address for correspondence: Director of Farms, Central Research Station, Dr. Punjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, P.O. Krishinagar, Akola-444 104, M.S., (India)
Various neem products either alone or in combination with insecticides were evaluated against the cotton bolloworms. Six spraylngs with combinations comprising neem seed extract (NSE) 5% + ½ dose of each of the six insecticides used in the recommended schedule, viz., endosulfan 0.03%, quinalphos 0.025%, endosulfan 0.03%, quinalphos 0.025%, monocrotophos 0.03% and fenvalerate 0.006%, followed by these insecticides at the recommended dose were effective in reducing the infestitation in fruiting bodies and open bolls due to bollworm complex, loculi damage by pink bollworm and per cent bad seed cotton. Also, these two treatments gave higher yield of seed cotton, i.e. 11.11 and 11.62 q/ha, respectively, Neemark (5 ml/l), neem all (1%) and Rakshak (2 ml/l) were not that effective against the bollworms as the former two treatments. The incremental cost benent ratio (ICBR) showed NSE + ½ dose of insecticide (1: 6.20) and insecticides schedule alone (1: 4.21) were the most viable treatments than NSE and commercial neem products used alone. The treatment involving neem leaves extract 5% recorded the negative ICBR and its use may be discouraged in cotton ecosystem.
