Mix formulations: An alternative option for management of gram pod borer, helicoverpa armigera H. and pod fly, Melanagromyza obtusa M. in pigeon pea

A field trial was conducted during kharif season, 2011 at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, (BCKV) Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India to study the effect of some insecticides and their mix formulations against pigeon pea pod borer and pod fly. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications for each treatment. Insecticides viz. novaluron 10 EC, indoxacarb 14.5SC, emamectin benzoate 5SG, lambda-cyhalothrin 5EC, thiamethoxam 25WG, fipronil 5SC, novaluron 5.25+indoxacarb 4.5SC, novaluron 5.25+fipronil 4SC and indoxacarb 14.5SC+thiamethoxam 25WG were sprayed twice at 15 days interval. The mean number of pod borer larvae and pod fly maggots per plant and their damage were observed randomly from five plants at before and 5, 10 and 15 days after each spray. Mixed formulation of novaluron 5.25+indoxacarb 4.5SC @ 80 g a.i./ha and novaluron 5.25+fipronil 4SC @ 80 g a.i./ha, were found to be the most effective with cent percent reduction of Helicoverpa larval population whereas in case of pod fly, novaluron+fipronil @ 80 g a.i./ha and fipronil @ 50 g a.i./ha were the best with 72.5% reduction of pod fly population for each treatment. The highest yield was also recorded in novaluron+fipronil @ 80 g a.i./ha treated plot (18.6 q/ha) followed by novaluron+indoxacarb and fipronil treated plot with 16.4 and 16.2 q/ha, respectively while in control plot it was only 7.5q/ha.