Novel insecticides in relation to safety towards natural enemies associated with tomato ecosystem

A field experiments was conducted at the Entomology Research Farm, ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam, Meghalaya to study novel insecticides in relation to safety towards natural enemies associated with tomato ecosystem. The field experiments were laid out in randomized block design with three replications for each treatment. Treatments viz., flubendiamide 48% SC @ 30 g a.i./ ha, indoxacarb 14.5% SC @ 75 g a.i./ha, novaluron 10% SC @ 100 g a.i./ha, novaluron 5.25 % SC+ indoxacarb 4.5 % SC @ 45.94 +39.38 g a.i./ha, cypermethrin 10% EC @ 50 g a.i./ha, Bacillus thuringiensis SP @ 2.5 kg /ha, Azadirachtin 300ppm EC @ 1500 ml /ha, Metarhizium anisopliae Powder @ 2.5 kg /ha and Beauveria bassiana Powder @ 2.5 kg /ha were applied at 45 d after transplanting with the help of a knapsack sprayer using 500 L of spray mass per hectare and repeated after 15 d of first spray. The results revealed that all the treated plots with bio rational insecticides had more or less higher incidence of the two predators i.e., coccinellids and spiders. Novaluron treated plot showed the highest population of 8.03/ 5 plants of spider and Bacillus thuringiensis treated plot showed the highest population of 4.95/5 plants of coccinellids for both the years respectively.