Development of biointensive integrated pest management module (BIPM) for basmati rice at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand

Results showed that mean leaf folder damage was significantly lower in BIPM fields (1.92%) as compared to farmer’s fields (2.86%) and untreated controls (6.34%). Similarly, dead heart formation due to stem borers was 1.89% in BIPM fields, 2.84% in farmer’s fields, and 11.11% in untreated plots. The occurrence of white earheads was also lowest in BIPM fields (1.02%) followed by farmer’s fields (1.61%) and untreated controls (7.61%). Natural enemy populations were higher in BIPM plots, with 4.51 spiders/m² and 3.82 coccinellids/m² as compared to 1.74 spiders/m² and 1.53 coccinellids/m² in farmer’s fields. The egg parasitization of yellow stem borers by parasitoids was markedly higher in BIPM fields (75.68%) than in farmer’s fields (4.61%). BIPM fields yielded the highest grain output at 43.70 q/ha, surpassing both farmer’s practice (40.04 q/ha) and untreated control (28.26 q/ha). The cost-benefit ratio was most favorable in BIPM (1:3.3) compared to farmer’s fields (1:1.4). This study highlighted the cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits of BIPM.