1Associate Professor (Agrl. Entomology), Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore
2Associate Professor (Plant Pathology), ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, TNAU, Thirupathisaram, Kanyakumari District
Field trials were conducted to study the toxicity of chloronicotinyl compound, imidacloprid against the predator, coccinellids in cotton cultivars, Ranjit and MCU 12. All the imidacloprid treatments, irrespective of doses recorded a sudden decrease in the coccinellids population after application, in cotton ecosystem, but found to increase in numbers subsequently. The neonicotinoid check, thiamethoxam was also found to be similar to imidacloprid in its toxicity to coccinellids. Thus, the results revealed that neonicotinoids were relatively safer to coccinellids when compared to conventional insecticide methyl demonstration.
Coccinellids, Cotton, Imidacloprid, Toxicity
