Seed treatment with thiamethoxam 30 fs is suitable for the management of sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona soccata (rondani) in sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L)

The field experiment was conducted during kharif 2019 to study the efficacy of seed treatment with thiamethoxam 30 FS for the control of sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona soccata (Rondani) against the recommended practice i.e., spraying ofmalathion @ 625 ml/ha. Treated seed samples with the test insecticide were obtained from the Forage and Millets Section, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, PAU, Ludhiana. The seed was treated with 10 ml Slayer 30 FS (thiamethoxam) per kg seed. Seed treatment with thiamethoxam 30 FS @ 10 ml/kg seed was found better than spraying of malathion @ 625 ml/ha and control for the management of shoot fly in sorghum but seed treatment with thiamethoxam was not effective for the management of maize borer in sorghum. Significant higher fodder yield was obtained (600 q/ha) in the treatment T followed by T₂ (562.5 q/ha) in the district Amritsar. Similarly, 580 and 550 q/ha fodder yield were obtained in the treatment T and T₂ respectively in the district Tarn Taran. No phytotoxicity symptoms of the insecticide either by spraying or as seed treatment were observed in any of the treatment in any of the district.