Comparative efficacy of some promising insecticides against cucumber whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn.) under protected cultivation

This study investigates the efficacy of novel insecticides against B. tabaci within protected cultivation environments. Results revealed that least population i.e. 0.45 whitefly/3 leaves at 14 DAS (85.62% reduction over control) was observed in imidacloprid 70% WG which also recorded the highest yield of 1.25 t/ha followed by azadirachtin 5% EC (yield 1.02 t/ha) with 64.84% reduction in pest population over control (16.86 whiteflies/3 leaves at 14 days after spraying). Diafenthiuron 50% WP @ 2 g/l, acetamiprid 20% SP @ 2 g/l, thiamethoxam 25% WG were at par in reducing the pest population (61.88, 57.09 and 54.25% reduction of whitefly population) when compared with control. However, the effect of acephate 75% SP @ 2 g/l was very poor compared to other treatments with 44.36% reduction in whitefly population over control with a yield of 0.34 t/ha.